> You mean you want to force honest swiss cheese vendors to learn imperial units? The outrage!
> Just kidding: If the swiss want to (potentially) sell cheese to the brits who will (potentially) only buy cheese marked with imperial units, they should go to the trouble of learning these units.

Sounds fair to me.

> > Weight of cheese: 207 kilos
>
> Just for two reasons, I'll stress that this is incorrect: A weight isn't measured in kilos, since this is just a numerical unit/prefix, 1 kilo denoting 1000. It should be kilogrammes. The two reasons are: (1) I once spent an intensive fortnight coercing a friend into saying "one kilometer" in stead of "one kilomet". Note that this only makes any sense if you're speaking a scandinavian language. (2) I've noticed that you (wintermute) are (is) more comfortable with imperial units, wherefore you might not be (but probably are) aware of this detail.

I was aware, but "Kilo" is used in Britain (and maybe in other places) as a shorthand for "kilogram". I will try to ensure that I don't use it here again.

> > If anyone understands this post, can they let me know what I've argued for here? thanks.
>
> Ah! A glimpse of doubt! *moving in for the kill*
>
> > > jul"notice how I sneaked in an argument for common currency in the truck driver story"ian
> >
> > winter"Well, yes, if you mean a global currency"mute
>
> WARNING! I'm going to stick my neck out very far. The ultimate goal is common (global) currency, common language and only administrative borders (sorry wintermute!).
> With todays situation, I'd argue for dollars as the currency, and call a referendum (Aargh!) as to whether English or Chinese should be the language. But then, it will take A Long Time to degrade the borders to being only administrative. So the situation will probably change before The Right Time comes.
>
> I'm getting ready to be flamed.
>
> jul"notice how we all speak (approximately) the same language in this forum?"ian

OK, as a long-term goal, (over the next 6 gigaseconds or so) I can agree that that probably should happen.

The languages thing is already slowly happening, with US English becoming the default language. I do agree that a global government will probably become essential before too long. All I object to is the way it's being tackled at the moment.

After all, Europe doesn't have a common language, so why does it need a common measurement system?

winter"A couple of gills of beer, followed by a drachm of whisky"mute