I'm not sure I would be prepared to provide a top
10 list of reasons. 10 is a somewhat arbitrary number.
However, the top
reason is provided in the political action section of SI Navigator (http://metric1.org/action.htm), where I cite the
government's failure to use the provisions of
Article I, Section 8, Paragraph 5 of the United States
Constitution.
The second important reason is the watering
down of the government's requirement to use SI in all procurements. Again, on
the same page, I say the following:
It's interesting, in this context, to note that every U.S. Federal agency is officially required to:
... use the metric system of measurement in its procurements, grants, and other business-related activities, except to the extent that such use is impractical or is likely to cause significant inefficiencies or loss of markets to United States firms such as when foreign competitors are producing competing products in nonmetric units.
Metric Conversion Policy for Federal Agencies
Signed on July 25, 1991, by George H. W. Bush, President
In my view, the allowed exceptions are not being used in good faith; rather, they're used as an excuse to do almost nothing at all.
I'll leave the topic, with just one more reason. That is the innumerate nature of so many people in the media. I'm not just talking about TV, the daily newspapers, and the monthly newsmagazines. I include things like National Geographic Magazine, which, although it shows metric units on maps and has an international readership for its English-language edition, insists on converting data from metric (i.e., all non-US and some US) sources to "traditional" units.
Bill Potts, CMS
Roseville, CA
http://metric1.org [SI Navigator]
>-----Original Message-----
>From:
[EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On
>Behalf
Of Michael Mande
>Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2003 13:23
>To: U.S.
Metric Association
>Subject: [USMA:27625] RE: Metrication in
education
>
>
>Thanks for the correction - I'm converted to
metrication!
>I'm looking for any further information related to your
website statement
>(Third paragraph, second sentence - " For a number of
reasons, the United
>States is very much out of step...." )...where can I
find more on these
>reasons? Not a history, but the (real or perceived)
top 10 reasons for no
>change.
>
>Michael
Mande
>[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>914
478-8328
>
>
>|-----Original Message-----
>|From:
[EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On
>|Behalf
Of Bill Potts
>|Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2003 3:41 PM
>|To:
U.S. Metric Association
>|Subject: [USMA:27624] RE: Metrication in
education
>|
>|
>|Pat Naughtin wrote to Michael
Mande:
>|>By the way, notice that I have changed your title to
Metrication in
>|>education, by removing the letters 'if'. I think that
with metrication
>|>there's no 'if' about it.
>|
>|In any
case, if would only be metrification if it were the metrif
system.
>|<g>
>|
>|Bill Potts, CMS
>|Roseville,
CA
>|http://metric1.org [SI
Navigator]
>|
>
