Subjugation and Freedom

by metricpioneer

Life relies on competition in its quest to survive and self-replicate. Members of a species compete both against other species and against their own members. Nations employ elaborate survival tactics, yet an objective conceptualization of this process escapes most of us. A genuine self-analysis requires delving deeper than our petty, shallow thoughts.

Some individuals are content living their lives under subjugation; others feel the need to break free from subjugation. The Arab Spring spreads throughout the Middle East resulting in civil war and deadly turmoil. Much of Eastern Europe had broken free from Soviet domination and joined the European Union. People in Ukraina engage in national protest to break chains of Russian subjugation. The United States broke free from Britain in a hard-fought War of Independence, yet Americans naively cling to Imperial measures inherited from their one-time enemy. Most Latin America nations gained independence from their colonial overlords, yet indigenous people still speak the European languages that were imposed upon them and adhere to religious dogma acquired through forced conversion centuries ago.

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, consists of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Union Jack was an attempt to incorporate several banners, yet Wales was left out of the Union Jack, which is a composite flag:

 

Britain had subjugated so much of the Earth that it would boast that the Sun never sets on British soil, but that empire is all but lost now, and to add insult to injury, there is even a referendum scheduled for September 2014 on whether Scotland should become an independent country once again and break its union with Britain. Scotland has been part of the United Kingdom since 1707, but before that, the Kingdom of Scotland had been a sovereign state for over 800 years.

The Union Jack would no longer accurately represent Britain if Scotland were to break away. I think Britain would do well to consider ridding itself of the Union Jack altogether and adopt a much simpler two-colour flag based on a Welsh scheme. Instead of a convoluted, superimposed combination of one saltire over another, harkening back to days of ritual and heraldry, perhaps Britain would do well to consider something similar to the flag of Ukraina or of Cascadia and adopt a simple flag representing Earth and Sky:

Some may argue that Britain has given the world much grief, but Britain has also given us the English language. Owing to the assimilation of words from many other languages throughout history, modern English contains a very large vocabulary. The Oxford English Dictionary lists more than 250,000 distinct words.

Thank la France for giving to the world the SI (the International System of Units) and the most beautiful language on Earth.

As one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, Britain would do well to set a good example for other nations and consider abolishing its monarchy and state-sponsored religion.

Thanks, Britain, for giving us the English language, but please consider relegating your Imperial measures to the dust bin of History because we no longer need them.

Put your predicament into perspective, America. Wake up and realise that naively clinging to outdated Imperial measures only enslaves you to a globally competitive disadvantage. As one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, America should be a proactive example, not a measurement laughing stock. America should have been a measurement leader by persuading other nations to undergo metrication right after passing the Metric Act of 1866 instead of being dead last to slowly come around. Yes, America has the right to continue its struggle with miles and yards and ounces and gallons, but just because you can does not mean you should. Stubbornness for its own sake is not necessarily a good thing. Some people resist change, but sometimes change is a good thing. We add a star every time a state joins our Union:

America should join the world community of nations by completing its metrication efforts. Begin with yourself right now. Visit http://www.MetricPioneer.com and begin to measure wisely and teach others to measure wisely.