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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.
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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