Name 3 countries you'd consider inviting to join the United States.

[martok2112]

Re: Name 3 countries you'd consider inviting to join the United States

Holy Evil Ottoman, Batman!

 

[cultcross]

Re: Name 3 countries you'd consider inviting to join the United States

Ultimately sometimes governments have to spend money on things that aren't schools/hospitals/puppies that will benefit the country in the long term. In the case of the UK, the government saved quite a bit by simply changing the law on food labelling, forcing any cost onto those who made the packaging. Meanwhile, the government has stubbornly refused to change any of its own biggest source of imperial measurements, the roadsigns.

Well given the choice between spending my taxes on things like Health, Police etc.. and changing roadsigns to metric. I'll go with not using my taxes to change road signs to metric.

Then of course there is the other aspect that most cars in the UK have odometer's which show miles, speedometer's and whilst most speedometers show km it's in a smaller case so not always as easy to glance at.

But what benefit would changing all the roadsigns in the UK to metric be?

You don't want to cut unemployment down to Zero?

There's enough work for the entire country, there's just not enough work that the country is willing to pay for.

Besides if you try to pay 3 million people 15 to 20 dollars an hour for the next 5 years to convert all the road signs in America... The prisons are just going to underbid that contract because they can pay their labour forces 80 cents an hour.

Infrastructure is a problem with America. Sure there's busy work like this, but there's also probably millions of posted road signs that just plain actually have to be replaced for real reasons or outright planted in the first place.

The biggest issue that will come from changing roadsigns, even if we were willing to pay to replace all the ones with miles or yards on, would be the transition period. It would be logistically impossible to change them all at once, so there would be some crossover where some roadsigns were in miles and some in km. Which would be... entertaining.

Many guidebooks to Britain seem to have dealt with the problem nice and cheaply by just assuming we've changed when we haven't. One confidently informed me once that a 30 in a red circle meant the speed limit was 30kph.

 

[RJDiogenes]

Re: Name 3 countries you'd consider inviting to join the United States

As far as units of measurement are involved, the world is homogenized.

That's a pity.

If there were 90 regions of the planet dedicated to different unique units of measurement, how would that make commerce better?

You don't have to go so far back into history to find that %99 of all the people in the world didn't know how to count past forty, rather than that there were thousands of isolated regionally specific methods of measurement.

At least we can put the NTCS vs PAL argument to bed.

Suppose there were 6,500 languages in the world (which there are). How does that help commerce? Shall we eliminate all those languages and learn to speak Esperanto? I'd rather have a world that's diverse and interesting rather than one that's homogenized and pasteurized.

 

[martok2112]

Re: Name 3 countries you'd consider inviting to join the United States

That's a pity.

If there were 90 regions of the planet dedicated to different unique units of measurement, how would that make commerce better?

You don't have to go so far back into history to find that %99 of all the people in the world didn't know how to count past forty, rather than that there were thousands of isolated regionally specific methods of measurement.

At least we can put the NTCS vs PAL argument to bed.

Suppose there were 6,500 languages in the world (which there are). How does that help commerce? Shall we eliminate all those languages and learn to speak Esperanto? I'd rather have a world that's diverse and interesting rather than one that's homogenized and pasteurized.

What about if we spoke "Cityspeak" like in Blade Runner?

 

[Guy Gardener]

Re: Name 3 countries you'd consider inviting to join the United States

Then of course there is the other aspect that most cars in the UK have odometer's which show miles, speedometer's and whilst most speedometers show km it's in a smaller case so not always as easy to glance at.

But what benefit would changing all the roadsigns in the UK to metric be?

I saw something on the US Civil War recently, and those are similar arguments to why it would be too difficult to end slavery.

There's actually a wikipedia page timetabling global metrification, but frankly under a communist Government or an Autocracy, it'd be easy since they "on a sliding scale" don't give a shit about their proletariat.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metrication#Chronology_and_status_of_conversion_by_country

Chile started Metrification in 1848, and acording to Wikipedia is "almost entirely complete".

China? 1925. That was the Warlord era inbetween the rise of Communism and the fall of imperial China. Seriously WARLORDS at war with each other decided to abide with metrification despite constantly trying to kill each other.

Russia? 1918. Wow. Go Lenin! First day in office!

This shit is so funny!

 

[Guy Gardener]

Re: Name 3 countries you'd consider inviting to join the United States

That's a pity.

If there were 90 regions of the planet dedicated to different unique units of measurement, how would that make commerce better?

You don't have to go so far back into history to find that %99 of all the people in the world didn't know how to count past forty, rather than that there were thousands of isolated regionally specific methods of measurement.

At least we can put the NTCS vs PAL argument to bed.

Suppose there were 6,500 languages in the world (which there are). How does that help commerce? Shall we eliminate all those languages and learn to speak Esperanto? I'd rather have a world that's diverse and interesting rather than one that's homogenized and pasteurized.

There are 6,500 Languages.

Either there should be one single language, which was the point of Esperanto, or everyone should be forced to learn at least 10 languages. This does sound too hard. Exhausting.

There are Four methods of measurement in use today.

Metric. 212ish countries.

Imperial. 2 countries

Burmese. 1 country.

Customary American. 1 country



The battle is over and lost, just accept the fact that America passed legislation committing to metrification in 1975, and you're dragging your heals, but not as much as Chile.

 

[cultcross]

Re: Name 3 countries you'd consider inviting to join the United States

That's a pity.

If there were 90 regions of the planet dedicated to different unique units of measurement, how would that make commerce better?

You don't have to go so far back into history to find that %99 of all the people in the world didn't know how to count past forty, rather than that there were thousands of isolated regionally specific methods of measurement.

At least we can put the NTCS vs PAL argument to bed.

Suppose there were 6,500 languages in the world (which there are). How does that help commerce? Shall we eliminate all those languages and learn to speak Esperanto? I'd rather have a world that's diverse and interesting rather than one that's homogenized and pasteurized.

The usefulness of having a single language which is widely or universally used has been demonstrated through the last two millennia, firstly with Latin and then with English. Generally, life is easier when things run the same way in different places, or there is at least a universal standard everyone agrees on alongside cultural variations.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Re: Name 3 countries you'd consider inviting to join the United States

I was thinking the opposite.

Well the same, but the opposite.

God was afraid of how mighty we had become.

So he cursed us to all speak differently.

Not regionally differently.

14,000,000 people on on the planet (4000 bc?) and 14,000,000 languages spoken by those people.

Hmmm.

So it wasn't like in DS9 Babel where everyone was coded to pronounce word salad, but that every person was awarded with a completely unique language that no one else could understand?

Is redacting 13993500 languages in just 4000 years, really all that impressive, if the %98 of those missing languages buggered off in the first forty years after Babel fell?

 

[cultcross]

Re: Name 3 countries you'd consider inviting to join the United States

Apologies, I was referring purely to reality.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Re: Name 3 countries you'd consider inviting to join the United States

Hmpf. What has reality done for me lately?

 

[SPCTRE]

Re: Name 3 countries you'd consider inviting to join the United States

1. Iran

2. Syria

3. Israel

4. ???

5. Profit.

 

[eyeresist]

Re: Name 3 countries you'd consider inviting to join the United States

Russia
China
France

'Cos funny!

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Re: Name 3 countries you'd consider inviting to join the United States

Shall we eliminate all those languages and learn to speak Esperanto?

Bonvoro alsendi la pordiston, lausajne estas rano en mia bideo!

And I think we all know what THAT means.

I'd rather have a world that's diverse and interesting rather than one that's homogenized and pasteurized.

So you don't want to live in a world of milk, then?

 

[eyeresist]

Re: Name 3 countries you'd consider inviting to join the United States

But the truth is that such sentiments are merely excuses. Opposition to metrification has nothing to do with the loss of culture or opposition to homogenisation. It's based on the simple stubbornness of not wanting to adapt to a new system, even if it is simpler and more sensible.

Like Windows 8!

 

[HIjol]

Re: Name 3 countries you'd consider inviting to join the United States

Shall we eliminate all those languages and learn to speak Esperanto?

Bonvoro alsendi la pordiston, lausajne estas rano en mia bideo!

And I think we all know what THAT means.

I'd rather have a world that's diverse and interesting rather than one that's homogenized and pasteurized.

So you don't want to live in a world of milk, then?

I choose a Land of Milk and Honey!!!

But the truth is that such sentiments are merely excuses. Opposition to metrification has nothing to do with the loss of culture or opposition to homogenisation. It's based on the simple stubbornness of not wanting to adapt to a new system, even if it is simpler and more sensible.

Like Windows 8!

XP Forever! The Least Feces of the Fleecy Releases

 

[RJDiogenes]

Re: Name 3 countries you'd consider inviting to join the United States

If there were 90 regions of the planet dedicated to different unique units of measurement, how would that make commerce better?

You don't have to go so far back into history to find that %99 of all the people in the world didn't know how to count past forty, rather than that there were thousands of isolated regionally specific methods of measurement.

At least we can put the NTCS vs PAL argument to bed.

Suppose there were 6,500 languages in the world (which there are). How does that help commerce? Shall we eliminate all those languages and learn to speak Esperanto? I'd rather have a world that's diverse and interesting rather than one that's homogenized and pasteurized.

What about if we spoke "Cityspeak" like in Blade Runner?

It will probably come to that....

If there were 90 regions of the planet dedicated to different unique units of measurement, how would that make commerce better?

You don't have to go so far back into history to find that %99 of all the people in the world didn't know how to count past forty, rather than that there were thousands of isolated regionally specific methods of measurement.

At least we can put the NTCS vs PAL argument to bed.

Suppose there were 6,500 languages in the world (which there are). How does that help commerce? Shall we eliminate all those languages and learn to speak Esperanto? I'd rather have a world that's diverse and interesting rather than one that's homogenized and pasteurized.

The usefulness of having a single language which is widely or universally used has been demonstrated through the last two millennia, firstly with Latin and then with English. Generally, life is easier when things run the same way in different places, or there is at least a universal standard everyone agrees on alongside cultural variations.

I'm not talking about usefulness. A universal standard alongside cultural variations is perfectly adequate.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Re: Name 3 countries you'd consider inviting to join the United States

Do McDonalds have a weed burger it can sell in some places?

Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Who does the US have to Glom onto to adopt less draconian laws about adding herbs to my McRibs?

Google tells me that the only likely candidate is "International Waters".

Although there are a few urban legends about pot "appearing" in burgers without any explanation.

 

[martok2112]

Re: Name 3 countries you'd consider inviting to join the United States

Do McDonalds have a weed burger it can sell in some places?

Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Who does the US have to Glom onto to adopt less draconian laws about adding herbs to my McRibs?

Google tells me that the only likely candidate is "International Waters".

Although there are a few urban legends about pot "appearing" in burgers without any explanation.

Get stoned, and solve your munchie hankerings at the same time. Interesting.

 

[eyeresist]

Re: Name 3 countries you'd consider inviting to join the United States

But the truth is that such sentiments are merely excuses. Opposition to metrification has nothing to do with the loss of culture or opposition to homogenisation. It's based on the simple stubbornness of not wanting to adapt to a new system, even if it is simpler and more sensible.

Like Windows 8!

XP Forever! The Least Feces of the Fleecy Releases

If it wasn't for ClassicShell, I probably would have thrown my laptop through the window by now.

 

[JES]

Re: Name 3 countries you'd consider inviting to join the United States

^How would that work with wall some want to errect along the USA/Canadian border, though I suspect it's less about keeping Canadians out but Americans in.

Who needs to be a wall, when there won't even be a need for a border. Then we can use the money saved towards something more important, like a high speed rail system.

Our roads and highways could also use some work. Then again, I'd like nothing better than for us to just start again from scratch, and rebuild our highways based off the systems used in Germany and Italy. Speeding down large stretches of highways at 100+ MPH in American muscle cars, in America (and I guess Mexico and Canada should get them too)!

We'll also need all the money we can save for that hyperloop system.

I like your idea of starting from "scratch," but your implementation is wildly off. We could use about seven billion people fewer so those things would not be necessary. We continue to breed as if the worldwide population were in the thousands or millions and resources were unlimited. From "scratch" would be placing a higher value on natural, community and multi-generational household living than bulldozing the planet in favor of concrete and asphalt to support our addiction to growth.

Good point there. I agree that we need to choose what we build on more carefully. Less concrete jungles, and more forests.

There's been a lot of talk about a 'North American Union' which would supposedly consist of the USA, Canada and Mexico. But that's just paranoid conspiracy stuff, spouted by the likes of Hal Turner. None of those three countries - yes, not even the US - actually WANTS an NAU, and I wouldn't want it either.

There's a series of science fiction novels written in the '80s, by F.M. Busby. The Hulzein Saga's core books (Young Rissa, Rissa and Tregare, and The Long View) show a dystopian type of future in which there are only three governments on Earth: The Hulzein Establishment controls Argentina, the Australians are independent (though at one time were Hulzein-connected), and the rest of the world is controlled by a massive fascist government called United Energy & Transport (UET).

Back in the early 21st century, the world economy got so bad that the United States literally couldn't afford to keep its form of government going. So various multinational conglomerates stepped in, bidding every four years for the right to govern. One of those, Synthetic Food & Combine, annexed Canada and Mexico. Then a few years later UET took over and decided there would be no more "elections." When Europe objected, UET used nukes to convince them.

By Europe, I assume that you mean the people, and not the government. If the corporations tried setting up a fascist corporatocracy, and tried to annex or enforce their rule on first world countries that have pretty good military forces such as France or the U.K., I'd like to think that they'd try to resist militarily.
And if they nuked cities like London and Paris as example, it might galvanize dissenters to rebel and/or form resistance cells. You might even see another American Civil War between those working for the corporations, and loyalists to the ideals that the country was built on.

Sorry I've been away for so long, and hence haven't replied for a while, but I have been busy.