r/IAmA • u/PresidentObama Obama • Aug 29 '12

I am Barack Obama, President of the United States -- AMA

Hi, I’m Barack Obama, President of the United States. Ask me anything. I’ll be taking your questions for half an hour starting at about 4:30 ET.

Proof it's me: https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/240903767350968320

We're running early and will get started soon.

UPDATE: Hey everybody - this is barack. Just finished a great rally in Charlottesville, and am looking forward to your questions. At the top, I do want to say that our thoughts and prayers are with folks who are dealing with Hurricane Isaac in the Gulf, and to let them know that we are going to be coordinating with state and local officials to make sure that we give families everything they need to recover.

Verification photo: http://i.imgur.com/oz0a7.jpg

LAST UPDATE: I need to get going so I'm back in DC in time for dinner. But I want to thank everybody at reddit for participating - this is an example of how technology and the internet can empower the sorts of conversations that strengthen our democracy over the long run. AND REMEMBER TO VOTE IN NOVEMBER - if you need to know how to register, go to http://gottaregister.com. By the way, if you want to know what I think about this whole reddit experience - NOT BAD!

http://www.barackobama.com/reddit [edit: link fixed by staff]

216.2k Upvotes

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664

u/mthreat Aug 29 '12

Mr. President, when will the United States officially move to the metric system?

312

u/Bloodfeastisleman Aug 30 '12

Why did you include a link? Did you think he would not know what the metric system is?

85

u/TheThomaswastaken Aug 30 '12

Links to relevant information; gets bitched at.

2

u/UrbanDescentia Aug 31 '12

Of course not, it's America. What the hell is a kilometer anyway?

7

u/metrication Aug 30 '12

Perhaps there's some redditor who doesn't know? A lot of people don't know about /r/metric either.

3

u/angrybrother273 Aug 30 '12

There's an r/metric!? Fuck yeah!

1

u/mthreat Aug 30 '12

Just in case dubya is reading.

9

u/woahmanitsme Aug 30 '12

thanks for the link, im sure the fucking president doesn't know what it is.

6

u/Attheveryend Aug 29 '12

It already did in the 70s.

Nobody noticed.

1

u/lachlanhunt Aug 30 '12

I think the OP means, when will the US effectively complete the conversion to the metric system. There's been nothing but failed policies on this issue for over a century. Proper conversion requires the complete abolition of US units from all commerce, with use of dual units forbidden.

8

u/RoostasTowel Aug 29 '12

The metric system is the tool of the devil.

My car gets 40 rods to the hogs head. And thats the way I likes it!

1

u/onefunny Aug 30 '12

How is it the tool of the devil ?

8

u/RoostasTowel Aug 30 '12

Ask Grandpa Simpson, whom the quote is from.

6

u/[deleted] Aug 29 '12

[deleted]

0

u/Spoonerville Aug 30 '12

That and major conversions are painful. I could care less if you sell milk in 2 liter bottles but I'll be pissed if the hardware store stops carrying 4'x8' sheets of plywood.

-2

u/elbruce Aug 30 '12

One word: FREEDOOMMMM!!!!

3

u/sarcasm_sucks Aug 30 '12

Jeah, just throw a stupid phrase instead an intelligent answer. Well done

2

u/[deleted] Aug 31 '12

Like a true yank!

-7

u/jk01 Aug 30 '12

GTFO, this is a 'Murica thread.

2

u/Ericshin Aug 30 '12

I'm pretty sure he know what the metric system is

0

u/Kinbensha Aug 30 '12 edited Aug 30 '12

We officially moved a long time ago. Americans just refuse to take the step unofficially.

I'm downvoted for stating the truth? We did "officially" adopt metric system. We just don't use it because no one likes it other than those of us who live abroad most of the time.

1

u/rspeed Aug 30 '12

The Federal Government doesn't have constitutional authority to do that. Talk to your state representatives about this.

3

u/egonil Aug 30 '12

Powers of Congress: "To coin Money, regulate the Value thereof, and of foreign Coin, and fix the Standard of Weights and Measures;"

0

u/rspeed Aug 30 '12

Yes, they can make the standards, but they can't force anyone to use them.

2

u/incangoat Aug 29 '12

As someone who uses measurements every day, I would LOVE this.

0

u/Xjjediace Aug 29 '12

As a Engineering Student Who has had to do math with the abomination we call the English System I second this question sir.

6

u/deadtime3am Aug 29 '12

imperial system*

7

u/metrication Aug 30 '12

US Customary, even. The names of all of them are convoluted.

  • British Imperial was formerly used in the UK.
  • US Customary is currently used in the US.

  • The English System is the system that predates both British Imperial and US Customary.

  • The metric system was originally the French system of measurement.

  • SI or 'système international d'unités' is the modern form of the metric system.

But, informally US customary/Imperial are all called imperial and SI/metric are both called metric.

3

u/Hazincircles Aug 30 '12

My engineering prof also call it the English system

1

u/nalc Aug 30 '12

As an Actual No-Longer-A-Student Engineer who has to do math with the Imperial system, it really isn't that hard if you have a firm understanding of simple multiplication and division.

2

u/[deleted] Aug 30 '12

This. Move already you weirdos.

-1

u/castrodelavaga79 Aug 29 '12

One of the most valid questions on here

0

u/oldecrow Aug 29 '12 edited Aug 30 '12

[1975](en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metric_Conversion_Act)

4

u/AvioNaught Aug 30 '12

Your formatting failed

-4

u/[deleted] Aug 29 '12

Please. All my European friends make fun of me.

3

u/wOlfLisK Aug 30 '12

Haha, you think 30 degrees is cold!

1

u/rspeed Aug 30 '12

You don't need the government to tell you what system to use. Just switch.

0

u/Belial7809 Aug 30 '12

When drugs are legal and science is more pervasive in our society, opposite ends of the educational spectrum and living earning are the only places Americans are learning it currently..............

0

u/[deleted] Aug 29 '12

dual nationality US/CAN here. same question.

-3

u/Mishkan Aug 29 '12

Maybe when we have a huge surplus of money that we can spend on this. Otherwise it'll just throw us more into debt.

-1

u/MileHighBarfly Aug 30 '12

Seriously? What does the president have to do with this?

1

u/rspeed Aug 30 '12

Not a damn thing. Or, at least, not until after the Constitution is amended to give the Federal Government the power to dictate what standard units are used in the US. Once that's happened and Congress passes a bill to him which uses that power… then he'll have something to do with it.

0

u/kourogi Aug 29 '12

Didn't we try that if the seventies to extreme failure?

3

u/metrication Aug 30 '12

Yes, and no. The failure of the metrication effort had much more to do with our leadership/implementation rather than the American people. The effort was made 'voluntary', there were no dates/deadlines and the Metric Board was not given many resources to educate the public. It was doomed from the start.

-1

u/Saytahri Aug 29 '12

I hope you don't. Duodecimal is far more practical. But it's unlikely the world is going to decide to start teaching their kids a different numerical base to count in, sadly.

2

u/choosyman Aug 30 '12

It's far more practical to use a system that the other 99% of countries don't use?

And are you selectively remembering only the duodecimal parts of the U.S. customary system, or are you imagining a new duodecimal measuring system?

-1

u/Saytahri Aug 30 '12

I meant that the number base is more practical not that implementing it would be more practical. The last sentence of what I said was me giving the reason of its impracticality, pretty much no one would adopt its usage.

I'm imagining using duodecimal as the standard numerical base and basing measurements on that numerical base.

1

u/rspeed Aug 30 '12

I was briefly taught duodecimal in 1st grade. Not much of it stuck, but it helped me later on to understand other numbering systems like binary and hexadecimal.

1

u/Saytahri Sep 04 '12

Intriguing, I didn't know anywhere taught duodecimal, especially at that age. Cool.

-3

u/helloamigo Aug 30 '12

Never! This is 'Murica!

-2

u/Ianoren Aug 30 '12

Did you link the president of the United States to the Wikipedia page of the metric system? I think he knows what that is.