And I disagree. There IS something wrong with this system. There are too...many...useless...units (miles, feet, inches, yards, leagues, furlongs, etc.). While in metric I would just use the meter, and nothing else. The kilogram is based off of the liter, which is based off of the meter, which is based off of the Earth and divided into tens. It's simple, logical, decimal, and accurate.

I think you mean the country has been using the English system (SI is "Système International", which is metric). It wouldn't happen overnight, it would take time. Needless to say a complete swift and painless transition is what would work best, but unfortunately it probably isn't going to happen like that.

This country has been using SI since the country was formed. Switching over from SI to metric overnight would cause mass confusion. There's nothing wrong with the current system, and if this passes, then the next thing would be "those damn Americans are driving on the wrong side of the road" We don't need to fix what isn't broken.

One good way to start would be for the new commander-in-chief to order the supply arms of the armed forces to procure, say, milk in 2 L containers rather than the usual 1/2 gallon types (they take up the same shelf space). In no time these would be all over the country. There are dozens of other small but far-reaching methods.

This entire change over could be funded by placing a 12 month moratorium on the renaming of roads, bridges, airports, etc. after politicians. Case in point, Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

Many US engineers would love the chance to jump on the metric bandwagon. It would greatly streamline their work especially when dealing with international customers.

I would love the change. Maybe then I could actually figure out distance calculations without working about conversion errors.

I agree as well. We need to go metric and we need to do it now. We will be better off as a nation and as a work force.

I agree. Of course, Obama risks coming across as another Jimmy Carter, who was such an earnest and thoughtful engineer that people scoffed at him. Is there some way to make metric badass?

I'd like to acknowledge the following two rhetorical questions posed by metrication expert Pat Naughtin:

How many businesses have lost orders or contracts because they could not do the job in metric?

How many businesses have not even been approached for quotations or estimates because international businesses automatically assume that businesses in the USA cannot do metric work?

The goal of U.S. changeover to the SI metric system of measurement is not new. It was set down at the founding of our Republic, but often delayed due to lack of leadership in Congress, the executive, and industry. The U.S. is now the only nation without a plan to go metric . The time is now for our CTO to advance the process. Neglecting this goal costs the U.S. money and competitiveness.