Is it because it originated in France? Well, know this:
The US has never fought a war against France. France helped the US gain its independence, and the US helped free France twice.
The US has fought TWO wars against England (even if they were long ago), and the Imperial System originated in England - which is the system the US uses to this day.
So why not switch to Metric?
2006-08-01 03:37:29 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Other - Society & Culture
...besides, even England has gone Metric!!!
2006-08-01 03:38:26 · update #1
to redemption:
...but you still speak England's English language, and use England's Imperial system, so you must not be TOO into "being different from everyone else"
LOL
2006-08-01 04:01:38 · update #2
First off the US as a country never fought a war against France, they did as Colonies, the 7 years war but i guess that is besides the point. I think it has something to do with who Americans feel closer too. America has always felt closer with England than France. Partly because it is the mother country of the US. So it is only natural that the English way of doing things would become America's way. Blame Thomas Jefferson since he thought he would support and side with England. And today people don't want to use it mostly because it is ingrained in us how to use it that we really don't want to change that. Even though metric is easier to use it just doesn't make sense to us as Americans.
2006-08-01 04:07:53 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 8⤊ 2⤋
I'm British and was born pre-metrification, but as a scientist I use it regularly. Some things I "think" in metric, others imperial. Imperial was very much about convenient size and descriptions of the things around us, so pints, gallon, feet and inches are convenient to use. As a consequence, a lot of metric standards are actually close to the old imperial sizes especially in construction. When I'm doing accurate work, I always use mm, if I'm in "close guess" zone I still often use imperial.
However, metric is much easier to use for calculations, is more logical and it's easier to measure in mm than the old 1/16ths in etc. and most young people now can only think and work in metric. The next generation in UK will probably be totally metricated and see yards, feet and inches like I view furlongs, groats and farthings.
America will eventually go metric as the world goes metric and probably already is in many significant ways in terms of imports and science. At least if you had gone totally metric, you might not have screwed up the Hubble Space Telescope!
Same for temperatures, I only now think in degrees centigrade. Fahrenheit seems so alien!
2006-08-01 10:58:02 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
For the same reason we use Dollars instead of Francs. It's the American way. America has always been independent. Why should we do something just because someone else is doing it? If you like metrics so much, move to France. It sounds like you would really fit in there.
2006-08-01 10:50:48 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
Speaking from an level that not political just an everyday citizen; It is not that we are unwilling to use the Metric System, It just recently being taught in school on a regular basis. You can't use what you don't know.
2006-08-01 10:45:56 · answer #4 · answered by rose b 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It is cost prohibative.
We use Metric where it makes sense (liters of beverages, tool sizes, drug doses).
But why would it matter what system anyone uses? I mean anyone could make the argument "Why doesn't France switch to the Imperial system?"
2006-08-01 10:48:14 · answer #5 · answered by Billy! 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Bcoz metrics have no sense to man on the street. English system is based on what we understand - a yard is the length between your nose and extended arm forefinger, a foot is - well you know what that is, an acre is what you could single handedly plough in a day, and so on. It is related to life as we spend it. Metrics mean nothing!
2006-08-01 10:47:27 · answer #6 · answered by Priekahm 3 · 2⤊ 2⤋
There was once a push for it, but even the educators messed it up. Americans are just too lazy and set in their ways. I think it would be better to be on the metric system myself.
2006-08-01 10:41:53 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 2⤋
It would reqiuire to much work all the people would have to be retrained even the older ones would have to be taught the system all our book would have to be rewritten all the scales would have to be changed. Don't get me wrong it is a better system than we use today.
2006-08-01 10:49:18 · answer #8 · answered by Robert C 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's, probably because we (Americans) think we are right about everything and see no particular need to change it.
The metric system makes more sense.
2006-08-01 10:44:39 · answer #9 · answered by landerscott 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Because it is not taught until after the English system. They should be taught simultaneously, and then "conversions" can become nearly irrelevant.
2006-08-01 10:45:17 · answer #10 · answered by wmp55 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋