We aren't adding numbers to the discussion; the US customary unit system is doing it.
I'm saying the numbers have nothing to do with the discussion whatsoever. Just remove all numbers and math and division and all that from the discussion, and instead focus on the two sets of units that we're debating.
That's all I've been trying to do.
This is like saying you want to talk about Dominion strategy, but wish to ignore card effects and costs and just focus on the card names and art.
You can do that, but then you're not actually talking about strategy anymore. You can ignore the practical use of measurements and just focus on the words used, but that's no longer an argument that supports continued practical use of a system.
This is why so many people are bringing up conversions and number bases and all that. You argued that the US should keep
using the Imperial system, but your reasons for it are unrelated.
(PPE: somewhat ninja'd on the above.)
Instead of redefining inches, feet, etc. (which is totally impractical, of course), the better solution would be:
1. Use metric units for real life applications where calculations and conversions actually matter.
2. Relegate imperial names to poetry and prose, if you feel it is more appropriate for your purpose, alongside things like "thee" and "thou" and "wherefore".
This is pretty much happening already.
Personally, I think "metre" is more euphonious than "foot" or "yard". Metre is poetic; foot and yard are pedestrian.
Neither "centimetre" nor "inch" are particularly pleasant in sound. I don't find "mile" to be so great either, though I guess it sounds better than "kilometre".
But how the word sounds is not a good reason to enforce its use when it is inferior for practical use. You can use the metric system and still turn to the older, "regal" terms in literature.
In fact, I argue that retiring them from regular everyday use will make them sound better to future generations. This is already in effect for some words! For example, I think the words "league" and "furlong" are cool, and that's in large part because they're obsolete. They hearken back to days of yore when it was important to everyday life how far you could walk in one hour, or the length of a furrow in a field. If you also retire inches, feet and miles, they'll be elevated in the same way. It's a win for everybody!
Thank you so much for making an argument that fits this discussion!
Isn't #1 already happening, regardless of personal preference? I know just as readily what 28 degrees celcius means now, even though I wish I didn't. I can approximate a 5 kilometer drive in my head, even though it makes me sick. Metric untis have been forced upon us like so many other tyrannical systems in the world. They aren't going away.
As for retiring words to make them cooler...I see where you are coming from. But the hard part for me would be that, while it might benefit future generations, it comes at a great cost to myself and others like me, who prefer Imperial Units. Why must we, just because we are in the minority, be marginalized and erased?
As for prefering the sound of "metre" (how do you say it... Met-Ray?) over yard...that's a disagreement we'll have to agree to maintain.
(Bravo for the "foot is pedestrian" pun, though.)
#1 is happening in science and research and probably industry that is at all international, but is it happening at the day-to-day level? Are kids learning metric in grade school?
We can retire the words slowly. Phase it in. Teach the next generation metric and imperial. Drop imperial from practical use the generation after. It's not really so simple as this, but it's the general direction you should go. You won't be erased. You'll be remembered fondly as quaint.
Note that Canada is already like this. We use metric for everything, but we also use inches, feet and pounds in everyday life because of American influence.
You may be more familiar with "meter". It's the same word for rhythm in poetry. You see, it was a double pun! Granted, "foot" is also a poetic measurement, but as a single word it doesn't sound as nice.
We aren't adding numbers to the discussion; the US customary unit system is doing it.
I'm saying the numbers have nothing to do with the discussion whatsoever. Just remove all numbers and math and division and all that from the discussion, and instead focus on the two sets of units that we're debating.
That's all I've been trying to do.
That's a bit like discussing cooking without talking about food. Or playing Dominion and without cards. These units mean nothing without numbers, and measurements mean nothing without units.
If you don't care about measuring things, why are we even talking about measurement systems?
Man, I made this point already. I care about how a drachm of poison sounds much better than 3.6966911953125 ml of poison. That's measuring something.
But I'm not arguing that we should use the number 1 instead of the number 3.6966911953125. Just that drachm is better than milliliters.
The unit used in Shakespearean time and place aren't even the same one that you use now. You can still use that word even after switching to metric.
