Of all the countries in the world, only three backwaters still use the archaic Imperial system of weights and measures:
I say we let them get some decent governments first, then worry about getting them on the metric system.
Remember, folks: this was posted back in 2008, when George W. Bush was president. I lived in Canada, and the time, and that the “let them get some decent governments first” line was a poke at “Dubya”.
Be sure to check out this follow-up article: More on America and the metric system.
Here’s a collection of interesting memes, pictures, an cartoons floating around the internet that I…
Tap to see the source. This is yesterday’s daily New Yorker cartoon, created by Brendan…
C’mon, let it not be Asians this time. Last time was pretty bad. Here’s the…
Jon Stewart’s right, and we’ve been here before. Where we are now, I’ve been before…
Poppies thrive in overturned soil, which is why they bloom in battlefields. I’m in the…
In times of high dudgeon, there’s a tendency to throw integrity out the window. One…
View Comments
Not counting those countries that have officially switched but still use Imperial out of habit?
Why isn't Canada on the list? We still use the metric system -- Didn't you hear the magic distance of "1.6 km" in the news over and over for the last several days?
Hmmphhhh!
bnk
hi wanna go live in china russia......thought not
For those of you who are wondering what David Janes is talking about, the "1.6 km" is a reference to the radius of the area that was evacuated after a propane company exploded early Sunday morning. 1.6 kilometres is the equivalent of one mile, which suggests that the evacuation procedure was either written before Canada's switch to metric or cribbed off a set of procedures written in the U.S..
Anyone who's miffed at this posting can mentally retitle the map "Countries that have sent a man to the moon, plus Liberia and Myanmar". Feel better now?
How about "countries with red, white and blue on the flags, with stars"?
Just goes to show, the U.S. is no longer a world leader in anything that matters. How much longer before mindless idiots can no longer honestly chant "We're #1"?
Do I want to go live in China or Russia? Of course not. Could I live in Canada, Mexico, the U.K., pretty much any country in Eastern Europe, Australia, New Zealand? Why certainly, I could be very happy there. If I ever move from Alaska, rest assured it won't be to the lower 48.
I wish we used the metric system as a standard in the US. It is so much easier than have a system based on the number 12.
So, if the fact America could crush any country in the world with its military doesn't matter, what does?
Ya... Since the U.S. dosn't lead in anything that matters. That is still why our military is still fear throughout the world, even though our economy has been on a down hill for past few years, we still hold power over the world, people still look towards U.S. for assistance. Just because Americans refuesed to learn the metric system, dosn't reflect america as a whole. It just shows our ignorence and pride, if we can still maintaine dominence in the world useing a system of 12's then why change, everyone their knows it no point in trying to change things up now.