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In the end, the problem is those who deceive themselves into thinking the means to their success wasn't greatly provided to them by society.
100% false. Success is a result of individual initiative and hard work.
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They refuse to acknowledge how the success they've had depended on the monetary system which society furnishes to them, depended on the labor marketplace society furnishes for their use, depended on the legal system that society furnishes to protect them, etc.
LOL, all wrong, as well.
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Society gives each of us a virtual place on its "Main Street" from which we can sell our industry, and so complaining about the "rent" because you want a more luxurious vacation, and don't care whether someone else, not as fortunate as you, lives or dies, is grievously disreputable.
This is dogmatic and utterly preposterous ideological tripe.
Yes, EVERYTHING should turn a profit. It is the profit motive that keeps individual businesses from being wasteful and costing you more than necessary. It is competition that keeps profit levels appropriate. It is individual efficiency and need to earn a living that makes sure that EVERY service and product that is needed is produced or provided.
I just read two pages of your arguments and it's nothing but emotion. The guy you're arguing with is saying that the business is not profitable and, well, it's not. Do you hear UPS, Fedex, etc, looking to create alternatives? No. Do you hear them screaming about how they'd like to buy the money losing USPS and run it? No.
While it's great that your emotions tell you that everything should be privatized, you haven't made the case. Have you looked at any data on the issue? Given that you only argue with emotion here, I'm pretty sure you haven't.
Take a look at what has happened with private prisons in this country. They barely do any better than public ones. Sounds good, right? The only difference is that they pick and choose prisoners, so they ignore anyone that is old or has conditions requiring healthcare. Go do some research and you'll see that not everything makes for a profitable business.
There aren't really any independent studies out there proving them better.
You also ignore the need to have a post office. It enables a lot of commerce. A private business would straight up cut delivery to rural locations that aren't profitable. That impacts a ton of commerce, GDP and tax revenues. Those people won't be able to buy things or pay their bills.
While none of this is to say that the government should take over companies. Obviously that is silly, but for things where an institutional service is being provided, there's not a lot of benefit to privatizing.
What? It's socialization that has a 100% failure rate.
Did you happen to see (of course you didn't) what happened to the London Underground during its attempted privatization? The magnificent private operators managed to blow through roughly 1 billion pounds in consulting, planning, coordination, synergy effectuation, yadayadayada - without 1 foot of track being upgraded, without one item of rolling stock being purchased, without one signal being improved.
It was embarrassing, and it simply had to be abandoned - at huge cost to the British taxpayer, of course - because as it turns out, the private companies simply considered it their job to grab as much cash as they could and deliver as little as they could get away with.
Look at rural America and all the red states and all the post offices in every little town. There is very little call from all the "local" conservative republicans to close the post offices. With 13 miles of my house we have 6 post offices serving less than 8,000 people. Its a Republican jobs program just like the school districts that depend on funds from out of the area. The local Republicans were the first to stand up and fight consolidation. You add on all the Social Security, Disabilty, Medicare and VA recipients a lot of the Red areas are just one big government check.
Yes, EVERYTHING should turn a profit. It is the profit motive that keeps individual businesses from being wasteful and costing you more than necessary. It is competition that keeps profit levels appropriate. It is individual efficiency and need to earn a living that makes sure that EVERY service and product that is needed is produced or provided.
Incorrect, not everything can operate by turning a profit; what profit does the militayr make, or can ever make for example? How about food inspections? Border security? Basic government functions?
It is not a good idea to turn over the postal system to the private sector. As we have seen, the private sector can fail, and it will be the gov to come in if it is a critical service. The postal system, the ability to communicate and send items to every spot in the US, is a critical service in my opinion. Also, private carriers like FedEx also uses USPS for deliveries.
What needs to happen is the US gov needs to exit itself out of running the post office so they can get back on their feet.
FedEx and UPS could never do what the U.S. Post Office does and still make a profit. In fact, both companies receive payments from the Post Office and are essentially business partners with it.
However as businesses, FedEx and UPS are free to use best business practices that may not always be best for their customers. Both businesses use "crow-fly" mileage distances to their nearest mailing locations from rural areas in order to draw business from those areas and still not have to maintain dropboxes in the area. I have to drive 62.8 miles (roundtrip) to a FedEx location that FedEx claims at their website is only a 41.8 mile trip. Also, my mail carrier has been known to deliver mail on my rural road one day after a snowstorm while I have had UPS and FedEx packages delayed for as much as four days because of a simple rainstorm. Additionally, I've had FedEx call me to have me arrange to have my packages delivered to someone in town because of road conditions the Postman had been driving on for two days. FedEx and UPS here also seem to change their drivers often, so often the new drivers are unfamiliar with the area. FedEx and UPS are urban businesses and are not suited to rural America. The Post Office is.
Here in west Texas I am a long way from any brick and mortar stores, so I have to order many things. I simply no longer order from companies who advertise they do not use the Post Office. And if they don't advertise their shipping methods, I ask.
As to politics, neither urban-based liberalism or it's cohort urban conservatism support the Post Office. One does not have to wonder why so many rural folks even bother to vote anymore.
Last edited by High_Plains_Retired; 09-23-2013 at 12:35 PM..
Considering the downfall of paper mail, I am surprised we haven't done the same. What do we even need post offices for these days? E-mail please! Saves time, money, and trees.
That would require amending the US Constitution. Currently, only Congress has the power to establish post offices.
"[Congress shall have the power] to establish post offices and post roads;" -- Article I, Section 8, Clause 7 of the US Constitution.
That would require amending the US Constitution. Currently, only Congress has the power to establish post offices.
"[Congress shall have the power] to establish post offices and post roads;" -- Article I, Section 8, Clause 7 of the US Constitution.
That is a power that I think only the government should have the power... I don't think privatizing the post office is a good idea... I do think privatizing social security is a good idea... I think privatizing utilities is a mixed bag and should come only with strict regulations and standards...
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