General > General Technical Chat
why is the US not Metric
<< < (169/291) > >>
bsfeechannel:

--- Quote from: KL27x on December 10, 2019, 05:30:12 am ---^You spent time to write that? You basically ran out of things to say, but you're not done talking. Got it.

--- End quote ---

Since with that post I questioned yet another one of your Frequently Questionable Answers, you must have a lot to say.
bsfeechannel:

--- Quote from: rstofer on December 10, 2019, 03:26:06 pm ---This whole thread started and continues as US bashing.  It has nothing to do with metric, that is just a tag.
--- End quote ---

We understand that the US promoting the imperial system is below its dignity as a country. And that the full adoption of the metric system will make people admire the US more.


--- Quote ---But the good news is that we (I) don't give a sh**.  We're not going to change so keep on hating.  Me, I've been retired for 16 years and don't really concern myself with details.  Life is good!
--- End quote ---

The US military adopted the metric system. The US military is what guarantees the freedom the US currently enjoys.

So metric units are FREEDOM units. Fighting against them is highly unpatriotic and unamerican.


--- Quote ---There are exactly 3 countries the US can rely on:  Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain (maybe just England).
--- End quote ---

This is the quote of the year. I want a T-shirt with that.
KL27x:

--- Quote from: bsfeechannel on December 10, 2019, 03:57:44 pm ---
--- Quote from: KL27x on December 10, 2019, 05:30:12 am ---^You spent time to write that? You basically ran out of things to say, but you're not done talking. Got it.

--- End quote ---

Since with that post I questioned yet another one of your Frequently Questionable Answers, you must have a lot to say.

--- End quote ---
Can you quote and highlight it for me. And then also give me the cliff notes interpretation? What part of any of my posts are you questioning/challenging? I'm copypasta'ing the whole thing as follows, for your convenience. It sounds like you are challenging other peoples' use of logic to shred your 6-yr-old-level arguments. You want to paint a vague picture and suggest dots that connect, but you demonstrate very poor understanding of the reality behind any of the words that you have strung into sentences. You are conveying a feeling. It's nice of you to share your feelings. But the world doesn't run on feelings. And Americans, especially, don't get out of bed and put up signs in exchange for feelings.


--- Quote from: bsfeechannel on December 10, 2019, 05:18:47 am ---
--- Quote from: Cubdriver on December 09, 2019, 06:21:39 am ---Methinks one of us needs to work on our reading comprehension, because that is NOT what was said.  He did not say that road signs COULDN'T be metric, he said that it doesn't matter what system they are in just as long as it is consistent.


--- End quote ---

We are straining out gnats while swallowing camels. None of those issues will really answer the OP's question.

When people ask "Why is the US not metric?", the full question is "Why is the US not metric in opposition to the whole world?" If your answer is "Because it'll cost a fortune", this raises the question "Why can't the US afford to be metric when the whole world could?" You can say, because there's no perceived benefit. Then someone will ask "Why can't the US see benefit in metrication when the whole world did?" You may say, "Well, because the US is a country of continental dimensions, and people pretty much roam inside its borders, so there's no need to adopt metric to agree with other countries." Then that Socratic social gadfly that lives inside all of us will ask "Why does the US blame its continental dimensions for not being metric when all the other continentally-dimensioned countries are (including Australia that borders no other country)?"

Answers like that give rise to huge straw man arguments, which is what this thread essentially is.

--- End quote ---




;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;


--- Quote ---The US military adopted the metric system. The US military is what guarantees the freedom the US currently enjoys.

So metric units are FREEDOM units. Fighting against them is highly unpatriotic and unamerican.
--- End quote ---

Firstly, dude. The US military is what guarantees the freedom that all of today's free countries enjoy. Including yours. The US provides just the army/tech/tactics. Ceasar hasn't taken control from the senate, yet. The rest of the oligarchy of free nations "gets theirs" out of the bargain, like they always have. Americans' standard of living is not #1. Not even close. Our military isn't teaming with idealistic freedom fighters. It's a job. It's a really attractive career with good pay and benefits. Many of our military might have few other options/opportunities to even come close at the point they sign the dotted line.

The Treaty of Versailles wasn't meant to keep a boot on Germany and Japan forever. It wasn't a coronation of America as king of the free world. It was an agreement to allow peace and stability while things got back to normal, with some measure of hope that this kind of thing (WWII) wouldn't ever have to happen again. Part of this safety measure is having the ability to back up what you say and what has been agreed upon. And EU can do that to Russia because of this arrangement with America. Not just the US military, but also the tech it sells to allies. In that way many NATO countries subsidize American military spending by buying the tech. It's part of how they chip in. But they also get to use and examine and learn from this tech. And of course have and control this tech when they sit down to negotiate with their restless neighbors. Except for Israel; they buy the tech because they keep running out. In the industry, maybe they call this a reload.

Secondly, dude. It is completely ok for an American to be unpatriotic and unamerican. It's the norm. We allow it, and no one is checking demerits on our government records.



So if our military uses metric for the reasons of working in concert with, performing training exercises with, and providing training to the rest of the Empire, so be it.

And if fighting against metric FREEDOM UNITS is unpatriotic and unamerican, then ok. I didn't really pay any money to "fight" it. I'm actually trying to avoid paying the cost if metrication happens. But ok, I'm "fighting metric." And it's unamerican? Then, I'm unamerican. Why don't you join me in fighting America (in this case it is as easy as simply doing nothing) instead of pushing your Freedom Units like an encyclopedia salesman?

;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;
The last era where the world's most lethal and fearsome technology was owned and possessed by every common soldier was the Mongol Empire.  The Mongols succeeded because every single soldier in their armies was master of the horse and the bow. They could not only shoot the bow, they each knew how to construct, service and maintain their weapons. That is also the reason why they failed, due to internal conflict. Part of the secret to continued stability of our modern world is the centralized focus and control of technology. The other half is banks. This is how our old men keep control over the young men who actually deploy this modern technology. And this is what keeps the house of cards from falling down. If the rich old men who "got theirs" don't get to spend it, then what's to say you will, either.
SparkyFX:
I haven't read all 17 pages... my sanity is not worth it, but consider this: contrary to public belief even countries that are described as "metric" do use imperial units and parts manufactured to these units all over the place.

Examples:
pipes and pipe threads
wheel rim diameters
other common applications, like fasteners for camera gear

So when the metric countries are used to not be 100% metric, whats the point in working oneself up to switch all of it in one country. There are plenty of such examples in both directions.
rstofer:

--- Quote from: bsfeechannel on December 10, 2019, 04:23:40 pm ---
--- Quote from: rstofer on December 10, 2019, 03:26:06 pm ---This whole thread started and continues as US bashing.  It has nothing to do with metric, that is just a tag.
--- End quote ---

We understand that the US promoting the imperial system is below its dignity as a country. And that the full adoption of the metric system will make people admire the US more.

--- End quote ---
I don't think we actually run around with posters proclaiming the benefits of imperial units.  I don't think we care that much.
As to admiration by others, well, I don't think we care about that either.  Does anybody seriously think the question of this thread was in earnest?  Like they expected a scholarly answer?  Bull twinkle, it started out as US bashing and continues in that vein.

--- Quote ---

--- Quote ---But the good news is that we (I) don't give a sh**.  We're not going to change so keep on hating.  Me, I've been retired for 16 years and don't really concern myself with details.  Life is good!
--- End quote ---

The US military adopted the metric system. The US military is what guarantees the freedom the US currently enjoys.

--- End quote ---
Well, 9mm was developed elsewhere but they still use .45 ACP pistols and 5.56mm is .223 while 7.62mm is .308, both very common rifle calibers.  In fact, they were imperial before the military renamed them.  Yes, there is a slight pressure difference between 5.56 and .223 but all common .223 rifles can handle it.  In terms of 7.62, the military long range projectile is the Sierra .308 175 gr BTHP and while I don't use the same powder or charge weight, the ballistics are excellent.  We're talking maybe 3/8" center-to-center groups at 100 yards.  A different rifle with the 180 gr BTHP will put them in a dime at 200m - yes, meters.  Not bad for an old guy who looks like a beached whale when prone.

See, that's another thing:  How do we handle ranges in meters or yards?  Well, we build scopes in terms of milradians and that is 1:1000 regardless of the units for small angles.  No more of the "Minutes Of Angle" (MOA).


--- Quote ---So metric units are F/REEDOM units. Fighting against them is highly unpatriotic and unamerican.


--- Quote ---There are exactly 3 countries the US can rely on:  Australia, New Zealand and Great Britain (maybe just England).
--- End quote ---

This is the quote of the year. I want a T-shirt with that.

--- End quote ---
If you get them printed, post back, I want one as well.

There's a reason I trust only those 3 countries and it has to do with personal interaction:

When I was working in Singapore, I would go to one of the islands off the east coast of Malaysia most weekends for a little diving.  The American School provided the food and the Australian and New Zealand embassies would donate the wine in baggies (5 liter?).  There were two divers (one from each country) who had, shall we say, extensive experience.  Then we had our resident CIA guy (yes, really) and he was a bit odd.  Turned my buddy's air off (instead of on) just before we jumped into a high current.  That was fun!  Never let anybody check your valve position!

One of the women was from GB and she was a marine biologist in charge of creating the aquarium on Sentosa Island, Singaore.  Very bright!  She knew everything that was happening in the water.

We all survived using Dive Tables in feet, tank pressure in PSI and tank volumes in cubic feet (nominal at max pressure).

Good times, good company!  Those are the 3 countries I trust.

And the project I was consulting for was measured in metric.  Somehow I survived...

As it turns out, modern silicon wafers are measured in mm.  That seemed important at the time.



Navigation
Message Index
Next page
Previous page
There was an error while thanking
Thanking...

Go to full version
Powered by SMFPacks Advanced Attachments Uploader Mod