• mar_k [he/him]@hexbear.net
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      1 year ago

      Lol the other day I learned the measurement for a yard was determined by an English king sticking his arm out and measuring the distance from his nose to his thumb

      • Dolores [love/loves]@hexbear.net
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        1 year ago

        if you seem to think a ‘colonial’ standard of measurement is bad because it was imposed by force (metric wasn’t in the vast majority of metric countries btw), the ‘indigenous’ one would need to be meaningfully different. but old measuring standards were arbitrary impositions from old ruling classes

        • CrushKillDestroySwag@hexbear.net
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          1 year ago

          old measuring standards were arbitrary impositions from old ruling classes

          As opposed to metric, which was an arbitrary imposition by the French ruling class.

          • Dolores [love/loves]@hexbear.net
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            1 year ago

            how is that worse? if you’re going to argue this is a knock against metric, the ‘french ruling class’ needs to be worse than whichever royal nonce decided the length of an ell.

            btw when did the french conquer south america? it’s so weird they’re all using metric but i can’t remember the date when Napoleon came round and forced them all to switch

              • Dolores [love/loves]@hexbear.net
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                1 year ago

                gold reading comprehension star for you ⭐ you’ve successfully arrived at my point but you seem to think its yours.

                i’m equivocating between the imposition of measurement systems through coercive force and arguing it is not a valid complaint against metric—so you agree?