One way to push the U.S. toward metric right now

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beneficii
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30 Sep 2016, 12:42 pm

BaalChatzaf wrote:

beneficii wrote:

Amend the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act so that only metric units are required (customary units optional), rather than the current system where the label must display both metric and customary units. That way, companies have the option of moving to metric only, and lots of companies want to be able to do that because they don't want to have to create special packages for Americans when abroad they just print metric.

A big reason Americans haven't switched over to only working with metric is because individual Americans don't see the need because they can just rely on the customary crutch and ignore the metric units on the label. When companies want to switch over to metric-only, however, they'll have incentives to get Americans used to metric, and trial by fire will push Americans to adapt. There may be some bickering for a while, but people will get used to it.

Other problems with having both metric and customary, and why the European Union may soon require all packages sold inside its territory to have metric only (no other measurement system allowed), is that with multiple systems the consumer gets a lot more information that they have to process than if just one system is allowed (that would be metric). If the EU moves forward with this proposal, which it may do in 2018, then businesses would definitely have to create separate labeling for American and European markets, with America requiring customary and Europe prohibiting it. This would create some conflict, and through that we may finally see the FPLA amended over the objections of old fogey traditionalists who say we must be "fair" to both metric and customary units.

The Federal Government has no constitutional authority to compel private first to "go Metric". Congress can mint and coin money as it sees fit, but it cannot -mandate- a metric standard.

My proposal would not do that.

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beneficii
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30 Sep 2016, 12:44 pm

Jacoby wrote:

There are more important things to spend money on than replacing every street sign in America, do you have any idea how much that would cost? The onus should be on foreigners to convert to our system when they visit our country and vice versa. It's not necessary and if the reason for forcing the issue is "everyone else is does it" then it's not a very good reason, there has to be a tangible benefit or incentive for people to want to learn a whole new system of weights and measurements. Most measuring instruments do have both and most Americans have some exposure to metric units but it doesn't matter, people don't want to do conversion and never gain any fluency in metric beyond what their specific use for it. The most common usage of metric in this country is probably legal/illegal drugs.

My OP didn't talk about street signs at all, but only the Fair Packaging and Labeling Act.

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beneficii
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30 Sep 2016, 12:47 pm

kraftiekortie wrote:

We should have both systems side-by-side, even on the highways (they are side-by-side on the highways in New Hampshire and certain border areas).

Like Canada has everything in French and English.

If both systems are side by side, then people will just look at customary and ignore metric. They will never become accustomed to metric. Also, the idea is to not use customary anymore, so that there is no need to know it anymore, eliminating a burden on our society and economy.

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beneficii
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30 Sep 2016, 12:51 pm

beneficii wrote:

Here's the OP again. I only talk about packaging and labeling. I am talking about one proposal that we can implement right now without any cost to the government and without imposing new government mandates on anyone, and in fact making a current mandate less strict and burdensome.

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Spiderpig
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30 Sep 2016, 2:39 pm

The only fair option would be to stop requiring anything and let customers vote with their wallets.

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Jacoby
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30 Sep 2016, 2:57 pm

The problem with your proposal is that there would be a lot of Americans that wouldn't understand the measurements and weights of whatever they're handling which could obviously lead to some liability issues. Think about it, they have to include in instructions to remove the packaging so not being able to understand to accurately understand the weights and measurements would be a serious problem for some. There has to be a tangible benefit for Americans to want to convert and there just isn't one.

beneficii
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30 Sep 2016, 3:00 pm

Spiderpig wrote:

The only fair option would be to stop requiring anything and let customers vote with their wallets.

We need to have a standard, and it should be a minimal standars to reduce the risk of fraud and confusion.

Under your proposal we would run the risk of having to deal with divers scales and weights, a fraudulent practice whereby a seller uses measurements that are smaller than the same measurements as when they buy.

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beneficii
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30 Sep 2016, 3:03 pm

Jacoby wrote:

A good thing about the metric system is that it's easy to learn. No other nation has had really any problem doing that. The United States would not be any different.

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ZenDen
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30 Sep 2016, 4:32 pm

Jacoby wrote:

You're 100% right! "...THERE JUST ISN'T ONE."

I remember the metric rhetoric from grade school (not bad for an "old" person, hmmm?) and would like to note this was before desktop computers (slide rules, used properly, did just fine) and well before The United States (with it's terribly flawed Imperial System) landed people on the moon while the far superior countries using their wonderful wonderful metric system planted potatoes (or some such). Frankly it didn't (and doesn't) appear the method of measure made any special "boon" appear, despite the unbeatable logic of the "metric lovers".

As I said in my slightly "older" comment, the small amount of effort spent with two systems is negligible and the ability of the student to handle numbers is increased. In case anyone hasn't noticed we already use metrics when we feel an important reason for doing so...in many different fields. So to disrupt commerce and etc. for no good reason wouldn't make sense. Just another waste of time and resources (which probably means one of the present Presidential candidates will do this during their term.

)

kraftiekortie
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30 Sep 2016, 4:40 pm

I remember, when I was 10 years old, how fascinated I was about England adopting the "decimal" system in currency. How it went from Pounds, Shillings, and Pence to Pounds and "New Pence."

This was around the time they dropped the "'gold standard," when gold was always $35 an ounce.

Then I started learning the Metric System. I was fascinated with that, too.

kraftiekortie
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30 Sep 2016, 5:40 pm

Americans are too nationalistic to just drop the Imperial system of measurements. It just won't happen.

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30 Sep 2016, 6:05 pm

The U.S. isn't the only country to use the imperial system; Liberia and Myanmar use it too. I don't mind it and it might be jarring for a while if it's changed to the metric system, but like any other changes, I'd get used to it. I think national pride is a stupid reason to keep the imperial system, though.

kraftiekortie
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30 Sep 2016, 6:07 pm

Belize also uses it.

But that's only four countries, out of 250 or so! LOL

Grammar Geek
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30 Sep 2016, 6:16 pm

Belize uses the U.S. gallon, but it doesn't use any other imperial measurements to my knowledge. I just looked it up, and it looks like it's only the U.S., Liberia, and Myanmar.

Anyway, that's getting off track.

(I just need to be right ).

beakybird
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30 Sep 2016, 6:17 pm

Grammar Geek wrote:

I think national pride is a stupid reason to keep the imperial system, though.

To me it's less about national pride, as I have very, very little patriotism if any at all... I just hate change for the sake of change or change just to be like everyone else... if there is an actual tangible benefit to this, then you'd have an angle, but I just don't see one myself, nor have heard one. If I have no good reasons for wanting things to not change, and you have no good reasons for wanting change, I would think things staying the same is the best thing to do... am I wrong?

kraftiekortie
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30 Sep 2016, 6:37 pm

According to Frommers, which is a prominent travel publication, Belize uses the "English" (i.e., Imperial) system of measurements, with the Metric System making "slight inroads."

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