Mathematical illiterate journalists

[harm_less]

Now if we had just stuck to the simple feet and inches like the Americans did, instead of this metric arrangement there wouldn't be a problem.

The Americans aren't a great example of simplicity. Their gallons are smaller than those used by the remaining imperial based countries. They quote payloads in thousands of pounds, rather than tons or tonnes, and they stubbornly resist using Celsius for their temperatures. All in all their weights and measures system is archaic and utterly confusing. Try 1/8 inch per foot as a gradient for a example.

What system could be simpler than one which is based on water?
1 litre of water is 1,000 cubic centimetres . It freezes at 0 and boils at 100 degrees C, it weights 1 kilogram and has a specific gravity of 1.000. 1,000 litres make a cubic metre and weigh a tonne.