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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 24, 2003)
Newsroom: (541) 346-5511 Suite 300, Erb Memorial Union P.O. Box 3159, Eugene, OR 97403 E-mail: editor@dailyemerald.com Online: www.dailyemerald.com Friday, October 24,2003 Oregon Daily Emerald COMMENTARY Editor in Chief: Brad Schmidt Managing Editor: Ian Tobias Montry Editorial Editor Travis Willse Measurement schizophrenia creates havoc The 1990s were a good time for the nation's space program and, indeed, humanity's exploration of the cosmos. The space shuttle En deavour left and returned on its maiden voyage (1992); the Galileo probe put newer technology to work (for the entire decade), letting humans remotely explore Jupiter and its moons in more scientific depth than ever be Travis Willse Rivalless wit fore; and the Hub ble Space Telescope captured images of the farthest depths of the visible uni verse (1993, after re pairs corrected for a so-called "spherical aberration" in the telescope's lens) as well as the first di rect picture of a planet outside our solar system (1998). Surely, all are magnificent achievements indicative of humanity's tireless curiosity and remark able ingenuity. In late 1998, NASA launched a satellite, the Mars Climate Or biter (which was built in part by contractor Lockheed Martin Corp ). The probe was designed to collect information about the Red Planet's atmosphere, and to relay data from a parallel mis sion, the Mars Polar Lander. On Sept. 23,1999, the Orbiter fired its engines and rocketed to within 60 kilometers of the planet's surface, fatally closer than planned. According to a NASA master catalog entry, the resulting friction and atmospheric stresses likely destroyed the $ 125 million craft. What caused such a grievous problem? Not the usual difficulties of engineering machines for (literally) out-of-this-world exploration, but an error of the sort we learn to avoid in elementary school: For a critical spacecraft operation, NASA used the metric unit for force (the newton), while Lockheed Martin used the English unit (the familiar pound). The bad number-crunching signaled the craft to misfire, sending a cool eighth of a bill ion dollars of taxpayer money careen ing toward the Martian surface, an ignominious counterpoint to years of general NASA successes. While a later NASA inquiry dted problems with the project's vali dation — rather than a gross oversight on the part of Lockheed Mar tin engineers, the problem itself represents a subtle but bizarre schism in national policy. Accordingly, the incident didn't reflect problems with the anti quated English measurement system itself but rather the sometimes gross inconvenience of using two systems. Using the English system alone, however, is almost as bad. The metric system is easier to re member, quicker to use and less prone to mistakes. One of metric system's biggest obstacles in America has been a record of false starts. Ihe Metric Conversion Act of 1975 established the Metric Board to encourage metrication and finally designated the system as the preferred one for American use. The board dis solved in 1982 because it lacked a real mandate The most important federal advance in implementing the system came a few years later; when Congress passed the Omnibus Trade and Competitiveness Act of 1988, which directed all federal agen cies to adopt the metric system by the end of 1992; the metrication of the federal government is now near-complete. But, no thanks to more dilution of legislation and the dogged per sistence of certain entrenched interests, the nation now sits in a sort of policy limbo. A 1998 federal mandate originally required builders to use the metric system in all federally funded highway projects but eventual ly made compliance optional for state governments. More than 80 percent of the states were certified as "metric-ready,' and were using metric units when building government buildings. Since that participation became optional, however, suppliers and some contractors have pressured more than half of those states to return to the unwieldy English system, according to a Sil icon Valley / San Jose Business Journal article. As of2000,14 state departments of transportation used the metric system, 28 used the English system and the last eight allow use of either system. The private sector lags much further behind in adoption. Clearly, the nation suffers from a peculiar measurement schizophrenia that's at best largely inconvenient. Possibly the most compelling case for metrication is a simple what's-popular-is-what's-right argument. The only other nations still holding out with an archaic measurement system are Liberia and Myanmar; that means about 95 percent of the world's nations, by population, use the more convenient metric system. The benefits of streamlined international trade alone would be worth the switch; the ease of everyday calculations are idng on the metrical cake. Contact the editorial editor at traviswiilse@dailyenierald.coni. His opinions do not necessarily represent those of the Emerald. t>o look EVER. HNiO 'iouRSELF AT AN intersection with A GREEN UGjHTj ANb HAVE IT? WAIT fb£ fEOPLE Tt> FINISH Running THEIR R£t>I THE SAt> TRVCTVI IS, NOT THE STUtJENTS jb blame , rrS the FREARlW' LOCALS DRTVE URE 3ACR' WHo X SteNIFICAKT ft Fcf ACCIDENTS iN THIS ARE FROM PEOPLE FAIUN6 ? TyjjfK- SIGNALS/ Steve Baggs Illustrator Power structures cause injustice Upon reading "Recognizing Patrio tism" (ODE, Oct. 10), I felt immediately that 1 had to comment on behalf of the extreme left. Although Willse noted that he commented on a current within the left rather than the group in its entirety, he still paints an unfair characterization of our political ideologies. Willse begins by arguing that many ex treme leftists blame some or all Americans for the "past transgressions" of a select few. This is simply GUEST COMMENTARY not the case. The confusion lies in that when those on the extreme left say "Ameri ca," they wish to convey a meaning differ ent from the word as it is commonly un derstood. We view America not as a group of citizens residing on a particular land mass and sharing a particular cultural his tory, but as a particular set of socioeco nomic institutions, the distilled expression of which being the activities of the federal government and capitalist class who wields it as a tool. When we blame America, we blame not America's average citizen. In fact, we do not even blame the corrupt in dividuals who wield power in our society. Rather, we blame the systemic tendencies of political and economic institutions that serve to cultivate artificial hierarchy and greed, and the corrupt lust for power with in that hierarchy. Willse goes on to argue that it is irra tional for the American critic to argue against the sum activities of the U S. gov ernment when it is through this govern ment that we are granted numerous free doms, including freedom of speech. He gives support, contending that die United States has one of the best human rights records among history’s world powers, and he goes on to make a vague contrast be tween the American way of life and totali tarian repression: "Freedom is better than slavery, free speech is better than censor ship, one debate is better than political im prisonment." Willse's argument is essen tially a straw man. Granted, America may offer a greater degree of freedom than the array of nation-states with which Willse compares it, but the fact remains that his tory has shown us that the central tendency of any concentrated power is to lead to heinous abuse of that power; America re mains corrupt. To make an analogy, one may prefer to have his or her arm broken rather than a giant rusty, barbed spike be driven through his or her lower intestines, but neither situation is desirable. Additionally, in this same line of reason ing, Willse succumbs to the common mis conception that it is through hierarchical structures such as the state that we derive our freedom. Granted, nation-states may grant their citizens rights, but these rights are only necessary in the context of such hi erarchical structures. For example, the right to freedom of speech is only necessary when hierarchical structures, be they gov ernment-repression or restricted media ac cess due to monopolization of capital, pre vent individuals from speaking freely. In other words, inalienable rights in the ab stract are only useful to us when the ability to achieve welfare on one's own terms, to live freely in the concrete, has been stripped from us. In sum, we, the sociopolitical ex tremists of the left, oppose America not be cause of some history of sporadic evil-do ing in the past but because we can see that current injustices stem from systemic causes rooted in present power structures, and if these injustices are to be eliminated, so must these power structures as well. Andy Kohnen is a senior studying psychology and sociology. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Fraternities, sororities produce lifelong leaders Brothers and sisters of the greek com munity, our secret is out. It was only a matter of time before someone realized that greek life produces leaders ("Greeks' ample student senate representation causes concern," ODE, Oct. 17). Before we know it, the independents are going to learn that greeks have produced 71 per cent of those listed in "Who's Who in America," 85 percent of Fortune 500 ex ecutives, 40 of 47 U.S. Supreme Court justices since 1910, 76 percent of all U.S. congressmen and senators, all but two U.S. presidents and vice presidents who were born after the first social fraternity was founded in 1825, and 63 percent of the U.S. president's Cabinet members since 1900. Then what? They learn that of the nation’s 50 largest corporations, 43 are headed by fraternity men? Take my word, I will do all I can to keep this information from getting out. We wouldn't want to "cause concern." I'll even try to reinforce the stereotypes people seem to feel comfortable with. Now, who's gonna fill this keg cup? John Ward senior chemistry Lack of housing code 'unacceptable' The sight of my fellow University stu dents returning to campus reminds me of Eugene's unacceptable lack of a housing code. Unlike most cities that harbor a high volume of renters, Eugene doesn't have a housing code that sets standards for the living spaces that community members rent. The lack of a housing code results in two problems: Tenants are not made aware of their rights and landlords are not provid ed with a set of clear expectations regard ing the services they are required to pro vide. In order to foster pride in our community and develop good relations between tenants and landlords, the Eu gene City Council should take action to develop a housing code. Tim Johnson chairman, OSPIRG University of Oregon chapter
