Metrication
There's the metric system. Then there's that other system, the one that doesn't seem to have a name, that we use here in the U.S. I think of this in the context of the health care debate, as so many American fools — way too many — labor under the delusion that everything is the best here in the good old U. S. of A. Of course, nothing could be further from the truth. But to take just one counter-example, a particularly telling one, only three countries in the world do not use the metric system: the U.S., Myanmar (Burma), and Liberia. What a weird grouping. And what a charmingly quaint, hidebound country we have!
Posted by George Kenney on August 18, 2009 7:48 PM 
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Comments
Interesting post ... but I think Wikipedia is — while technically correct (benefit of the doubt) — giving an erroneous impression. Two words:
United Kingdom
No metric, no Euro, no switching sides on which to drive ...
... switching to metric would be something I would support however — as a Canadian now living in the US it's bloody weird ;-)
John
Posted by: John Measor | August 19, 2009 11:29 AM
Without using the ubiquitous web lookup I believe it is (appropriately these days) the Imperial system based on parts of the English king's anatomy such as the foot.
My favorite is the rule of thumb which I only recently heard defined. It's outrageous, sure, but it's part of the language and a cliche at that.
As machining parts becomes completely globalized, USA will have to go metric to be able to fix anything broken.
[And you'd think that "free trade" advocates would want to make U.S. goods more competitive on the world market. But they don't. g.]
Posted by: loninappleton | August 19, 2009 10:17 PM
So far as I know, all vehicles built since '79 use metric sizing. Medicine uses the metric system.
It's already around us, just relatively unseen. None-the-less, that we stick to our old-fashioned ways does not speak well of us.
John, the UK does use the metric system, except that it still uses the mile (iirc). And it will not, of course, give up the imperial pint (different than an American pint).
Posted by: Lex | August 21, 2009 8:25 PM