Why does the US metering unit be incompatible with the world?Exceptionalism

Jimu Journalist Hu Li

Intern Wen Jiaru

The newly entered the United States may be confused by such a situation: the canned food marked with the "ounce", and the water marked with "liter". According to CNN reports on June 12, the measurement unit of the same product is different in the United States. Why is the United States be the first of developed countries, but is unwilling to use public system?

American supermarket shelves. Picture source: CNN

Politics and historical factors lead to the use of British system in the United States

The US media once said: "The U.S. use British system is a political story that has been dominated since the colonial era."

The cultural stories of the Americans's public system and habits have to start with the French Revolution in 1789.

During the French Revolution, the existing measurement system's expansion of trade gradually became unfriendly, so it was replaced by a cenclic and rice decimal system. On April 7, 1795, the French National Congress was decided to issue a public system. This measurement system was adopted by more and more countries and became an international measurement system.

When France and Britain fought in the 19790s, the United States had to choose one to support, so the British system expressed the American attitude. As soon as the United States adopts the British system, it has maintained hundreds of years.

The United States is one of the only countries in the world that uses British systems in the world

According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, there are only three countries that have no international public units on the planet: Myanmar, Liberia and the United States.

The main unit of the British system used in the United States is a feet, the main unit of weight is pounds, the main unit of the volume is gallon, and the temperature unit is Hua's.

A few centuries ago, which measurement system was used on which country to colonize.

Harry Clasimki, an associate professor of economics at the University of Toronto, said: "Because Britain has colonized North America, the measurement of the British system in Canada and the United States is used."

Canadian supermarket shelves. Picture source: Broadcasting Corporation of Canada

Once the United States accepts this measurement setting, and society runs under the rules of Britain, then people are unwilling to change it again.

Crainsky said: "People do not like to change what they have, because the cost of transition is very high. In order to build a specific system, the government needs to invest a lot." In 1970, it was decided to connect with international standards and use public system.

"Exceptionalism" has become the biggest resistance to advancing public system reform

In the history of the measurement of measurement units in the United States, many Americans have been committed to promoting the reform of public system. For example, as early as 1975, President Ford signed the "Public System Conversion Act" and said that the public system was "the preferred measurement system for US trade and business".

However, according to a public opinion survey in 1977, 60%of people opposed the use of public system. Under such public opinion pressure, President Reagan after a few years canceled the source of funds for the public committee established by Ford.

In 2016, the former governor of Rod Island, Lincoln, charged in the speech of the president that the reform of public system was "bold hugs of internationalism, let us join other parts of the world." But the idea of ​​checking the fee was laughed at, making his campaign no progress.

Americans have a complicated attitude towards the measurement unit: 32%of Americans want to adopt public system, but more people want the United States to "maintain the status quo". Behind these complicated attitudes reflect the deeper psychology of the United States: exceptional.

American historian Morrel Hilde and others wrote in the book "Culture and Diplomacy": "The starting point of American diplomatic affairs is such a belief, that is, the United States enjoys any kind of in the foreign world relations Special missions that other countries cannot enjoy. "This kind of positioning and cognition of its unique identity, as well as a strong sense of religious mission and moral superiority generated by it constitutes the core of American exception.

The coexistence of public and British systems, as well as the difficulties of the reform of public system conversion, both reflect the deep splitting of the United States as a multi -party country as a multi -party country.

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