For some time now, I've wondered why we still use pennies and some other old systems here in the U.S., instead of being on the front lines of change.
Here are a few examples that must influence how we interact with other modern societies.
Money:
Many modern countries, including Canada and Australia, are working in the direction of becoming cashless societies.
Sweden, which in 1661 was the first country in Europe to issue bank notes, is now for the most part a cashless society.
So why in the world do we still use pennies in America?
I imagine congress would have to approve getting rid of pennies.
Metric System:
When I was a teenager, I read Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck and learned that two men shared a gallon bottle of wine.
I still remember looking it up and learning that a gallon was almost four liters, which blew my mind. Both the size of the wine bottle and the fact that two men were busy finishing it off.
Checking online, I learned that as of July 2017, only three countries in the ENTIRE WORLD do NOT use the metric system:
Myanmar
Liberia
The United States of America
I know we are a very large nation, and I imagine it would be difficult for industries to switch to metric at this late date.
It probably would have been easier years ago and we were headed toward a change in 1975, but congress voted to keep the Imperial System, as our present system is known. So here we are.
Since we are doing business with the rest of the world, I imagine a lot of conversion must be going on, back and forth.
I also learned that Britain switched to the metric system in 1965, but still use the Imperial system to measure distances.
An English mile is 8 furlongs, which is 1760 yards and this is the mile also used in the United States and some, if not all, of the Commonwealth countries.
Why not make it simple:
1,000 meters = one kilometer
In Sweden they call 10 kilometers a mil (mile) but I'm not sure about other countries using the metric system.
Multiply by 10 and begin with 1 millimeter x 10 = 1 centimeter, then 1 centimeter x 10 = 1 decimeter, 1 decimeter x 10 = 1 meter.
No furlongs to worry about. Not that we worry about furlongs in America, but still...
While I understand it may now be too difficult to change to metric, may I just ask this:
Why in the world do we still use pennies in these United States?
NB
While I checked around, I noted that some European countries had other ways of measuring distance, but I didn't add that because this would then have become a very long post.
And I a very tired old woman.
