So how did you get your nickname used here?

[na_th_an]

Well, the metric system didn't just grow up in our countries. We had our own system to measure stuff, as every country/region had. We just shifted. Most of the developed countries shifted, and I don't remember any huge troubles or falling economies for that matter.

Metric system makes your life easier, allows for more accurate results, minimizes the relative and accumulated errors, makes calculations easier (care to tell me, from the top of your head, how many inches are in 2.76 miles? )...

I don't think that change has to be all at once. You don't need to say "hey, we are metric now, throw all those machinery to the dustbin and buy metric one". First step is using it. Use it. If you know that an inch is 2.54 centimeters you have a start. You don't need to change your soldering machine works in steps of two inches. You just have to know that "now", that machine just works in steps of 5.08 centimeters. When the factory has to change the machinery, the new ones come measured in centimeters. Changing takes time, but it's feasible.

Now, with two major measurement systems out there (imperial and metric), things are somewhat more expensive for the only reason of having to build, for example, cars which measure speed in two different systems. Imagine any American car brand name - they have to build cars which measure in mph and then cars which measure in kph for export. The amount of money they would save building just one kind of cars would be huge.

I consider a waste of time and money all those conversions needed by your country when dealing with others.