[News] Johnson to bring back Imperial units to honour the queen

[DavidinSouthampton]

I think it helps define a sub-section of society who voted Leave. People who don't travel, work or have much money could well have voted that way to stick two fingers up to those who do, defining it, as much as anything, as a vote of jealousy. It is, however, important to remember that people did vote Leave for other reasons too. Same with an out and out racist like Das, It's certainly true that not all Leavers are racists but you won't have found any of Das's type voting Remain.

This does, on the whole, however, feel like old ground and I see this thread trundling into the pit unless we can keep it civil.

I agree in general with what you say, but I don’t like the idea of voting out of jealousy. It smacks to me of the concept of “the politics of envy”, which I don’t like. People talk about people who protest or disapprove of fox-hunting in terms of the politics of envy. I don’t approve of fix- hunting, but if I wanted to ride around the countryside in a silly red coat surrounded by lots of dogs I could probably order my finances to do it… but I DO NOT want to.

To me, if people voted for BREXIT because they didn’t think the EU was doing them any good, that’s quite reasonable and legitimate, but my own view would be that their beef was more about austerity than anything else - the North getting left behind, the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. If levelling up had been a thing before the referendum, and had been seen to make a difference, the result might have been very different.

 

[dsr-burnley]

Wheeze update - apparently vendors will now be able to sell things according to Imperial units without having to display the EU units (in store or on packaging). It is this freedom that we have won, and which should be rightly celebrated.

Now, vendors will be forced to print EU pagaging displaying EU units for exports, as well as the new Freedom packaging that uses Imperial only for domestic sales, and non EU sales (New Zealand, Vanuatu and the Falklands).

Or we could save money by not exporting anything to the EU anymore. Yes, that would work.

I would have assumed that exports had different packaging anyway. Are you saying that exports to (eg.) France were allowed to be printed without using the French language for ingredients, nutrition, etc?

Besides which, you're misinterpreting the rule, or rather repeal of rule. As you say, vendors will be allowed to use imperial-only packaging if they want to. That does not mean that they will be forced to use imperial only.

 

[warmleyseagull]

OK. So ,without looking, how many chains in a mile?

 

[Is it PotG?]

OK. So ,without looking, how many chains in a mile?

I'll look it up. Anyone got a link?

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

I would have assumed that exports had different packaging anyway. Are you saying that exports to (eg.) France were allowed to be printed without using the French language for ingredients, nutrition, etc?

Besides which, you're misinterpreting the rule, or rather repeal of rule. As you say, vendors will be allowed to use imperial-only packaging if they want to. That does not mean that they will be forced to use imperial only.

Good grief. Did you not detect a soupçon of facetiousness in my post? Either way, it is a massive victory, is it not? I feel completely liberated!

 

[drew]

OK. So ,without looking, how many chains in a mile?

Is it 80

Some recollection that a chain is the length of a cricket pitch.

 

[darkwolf666]

Is it 80

Some recollection that a chain is the length of a cricket pitch.

Correct, cricket pitch is 22 yards x 80 = 1 mile.

 

[darkwolf666]

Is it 80

Some recollection that a chain is the length of a cricket pitch.

Correct, cricket pitch is 22 yards x 80 = 1 mile.

 

[Guinness Boy]

I agree in general with what you say, but I don’t like the idea of voting out of jealousy. It smacks to me of the concept of “the politics of envy”, which I don’t like. People talk about people who protest or disapprove of fox-hunting in terms of the politics of envy. I don’t approve of fix- hunting, but if I wanted to ride around the countryside in a silly red coat surrounded by lots of dogs I could probably order my finances to do it… but I DO NOT want to.

To me, if people voted for BREXIT because they didn’t think the EU was doing them any good, that’s quite reasonable and legitimate, but my own view would be that their beef was more about austerity than anything else - the North getting left behind, the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. If levelling up had been a thing before the referendum, and had been seen to make a difference, the result might have been very different.

Nope, sorry, I appreciate your faith makes you see the best in people, but I think there was a huge proportion of older and poorer people looking at young British graduates starting up businesses with Romanian or Ukrainian developers or becoming digital nomads or just travelling where they pleased for the sheer pleasure of it, and then saw immigrants from the EU coming here and somehow able to make a living and send money home when they don't have any, and voted out of pure vitriol, jealousy and despair.

 

[Weststander]

I agree in general with what you say, but I don’t like the idea of voting out of jealousy. It smacks to me of the concept of “the politics of envy”, which I don’t like. People talk about people who protest or disapprove of fox-hunting in terms of the politics of envy. I don’t approve of fix- hunting, but if I wanted to ride around the countryside in a silly red coat surrounded by lots of dogs I could probably order my finances to do it… but I DO NOT want to.

To me, if people voted for BREXIT because they didn’t think the EU was doing them any good, that’s quite reasonable and legitimate, but my own view would be that their beef was more about austerity than anything else - the North getting left behind, the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer. If levelling up had been a thing before the referendum, and had been seen to make a difference, the result might have been very different.

I know many Brexiteers, many of whom were fine for money, it was and is also very much:
- a hate of unelected Brussels officials determining parts of UK life.
- EU criminals being allowed to remain here ad infinitum, similarly the ECJ overruling UK legal decisions on stuff like sentencing, detention or deportation of people wishing to do us harm.
- people didn’t like their small communities radically changing in such a short space of time.

I voted Remain and personally love the cosmopolitan mix of nationalities who’ve come to these shore to work. Others didn’t.

 

[Weststander]

Nope, sorry, I appreciate your faith makes you see the best in people, but I think there was a huge proportion of older and poorer people looking at young British graduates starting up businesses with Romanian or Ukrainian developers or becoming digital nomads or just travelling where they pleased for the sheer pleasure of it, and then saw immigrants from the EU coming here and somehow able to make a living and send money home when they don't have any, and voted out of pure vitriol, jealousy and despair.

That is actually true.

I remember a few callers to R5’s Nicky Campbell in the early days of Lockdown 1 who chillingly said they loved the Italian and Polish cafes/restaurants going bust in their locality so that “They’d all bugger off home”.

 

[McTavish]

Do kids today still buy their weed in imperial measures? 3.5g sounds much more mechanical than an eighth.

I believe cocaine is bought in grams (or kilograms if you are a wholesaler)...even in the good old US of A: bastion of Imperial measures.

 

[BadFish]

So are there any actual benefits for people in switching back to imperial measurements?

The two systems obviously have pros and cons and the metric system has never been fully embraced by the UK (a bit like the EU) but what are the benefits going to be for making this momentous change? ( Also a bit like Brexit?)

A load of hassle for limited benefit and a reasonable amount of downside (a bit like Brexit?)

And all for her Maj.

So what benefits is this going to Create?

Sent from my M2010J19CG using Tapatalk

 

[Blue3]

The youngest people who remember using imperial weights and measure’s are well into their 70’s and 80’s

 

[birthofanorange]

The youngest people who remember using imperial weights and measure’s are well into their 70’s and 80’s

I have to take issue with that; I'm approaching 60, and I grew up using lsd (no, not that), feet and inches, pounds and ounces etc. and being perfectly honest, I'm just as comfortable using them now as the metric system.
That said, the metric system is far, far easier to learn and understand and this ridiculous piece of misdirection by Bozo et al is such a blatant attempt to swerve us away from all his misdeeds. It amazes me that anyone could possibly be concerned about this nonsense, let alone let it overshadow the utter ineptitude and crassness of our so-called leadership.
What will his next ploy be?

 

[drew]

The youngest people who remember using imperial weights and measure’s are well into their 70’s and 80’s

I'm not 60 and I remember using them.

 

[birthofanorange]

*duplicate post

 

[drew]

I have to take issue with that; I'm approaching 60, and I grew up using lsd (no, not that), feet and inches, pounds and ounces etc. and being perfectly honest, I'm just as comfortable using them now as the metric system.
That said, the metric system is far, far easier to learn and understand and this ridiculous piece of misdirection by Bozo et al is such a blatant attempt to swerve us away from all his misdeeds. It amazes me that anyone could possibly be concerned about this nonsense, let alone let it overshadow the utter ineptitude and crassness of our so-called leadership.
What will his next ploy be?

You just got in seconds before mine but I agree with everything you say.

 

[Blue3]

So are there any actual benefits for people in switching back to imperial measurements?

The two systems obviously have pros and cons and the metric system has never been fully embraced by the UK (a bit like the EU) but what are the benefits going to be for making this momentous change? ( Also a bit like Brexit?)

A load of hassle for limited benefit and a reasonable amount of downside (a bit like Brexit?)

And all for her Maj.

So what benefits is this going to Create?

Sent from my M2010J19CG using Tapatalk

One system of weights and measures was developed by scientists using standardised units of tens and hundreds logically thought through to ensure simplicity.

The other system of weights and measures was developed by a one eyed loon high on mushrooms naked painted blue going by the name Ugg

The other

 

[Weststander]

The youngest people who remember using imperial weights and measure’s are well into their 70’s and 80’s

Mid-50’s age group here, I remember for many, many years post-decimalisation sweets being sold in ounces, cheese/butter in pounds weight, fruit & veg in pounds weight, petrol in gallons, building materials in hundred weight. Seemed to be early 90’s? …. when there was a sea change. Possibly accelerated by some legal enforcement and court cases?