Summary
Donald Trump is considering privatizing the US Postal Service due to its financial losses, a move that could disrupt shipping and push hundreds of thousands of federal workers out of government.
Citing the USPS’s financial losses, Trump argued the agency should not rely on government subsidies.
While his specific privatization plans remain unclear, Trump previously clashed with the USPS during his first term, attempting to shift control of key functions like labor relations and rate-setting to the Treasury Department.
This move could significantly alter the structure and operations of the USPS if implemented.
doesn’t USPS have some special legal status? how are supposed to be things like court orders delivered if not by national mail carrier?
2-bit countries don’t need shit like that.
Who cares about the Constitution?
Quid pro Bezos
the conservative push to destroy this incredibly successful organization continues. its already been punished more than any other entity by requiring things no other business anywhere is required to.
starve the beast. theyve forced it to make financial considerations that now put it in pretend financial trouble so they can point at it as a failure.
if the USPS was allowed to run as any other business today it would be far more successful on paper than it already is, but conservatives just cant live with that.
it shouldn’t have to be ‘profitable’ in the first place.
yep. no one ever complains about the profitability of our ‘defense’ system which seems to do more selling than defending.
It was never intended to be. That’s why it has the word “service” right there in its name.
The USPS spent $89.5 billion in operations this year, which means that even if they didn’t collect a single dime from anybody they could serve everyone in the country with every package and letter that they already did in the entirety of 2024 for about 4.475% of the Defense Department’s expenditures in that same time frame – which are just under two trillion dollars.
The Defense Department as a whole Hoovers up about 24% the Federal budget.
Therefore the fact that the conservatives have successfully bamboozled everyone into believing that the USPS should be run as a “business” in the first place is incredible. Would you support about 0.1 percent of your Federal taxes spent on granting you free Postal Service access forever? I probably would.
Wait, is it possible to run national defense as a business that’s for profit? I mean if we all have to live in a capitalist shit hole anyways why not go for broke?
We’re watching in real time what we’ve criticized other generations for letting things happen. Wars, electric transportation, malls for developers, Citizen United, etc., etc.,
Success is measured in how many billionaires it makes. I don’t see the USPS making any billionaires. /s
Good thing the Democratic administration replaced DeJoy and passed some protections while they were in charge… oh. wait
yep, the guy who demanded the dismantlement of all the new high speed sorting machines. proof biden is just a big ol conservative
Can’t replace him until a board of people fire him…and they didn’t.
There were empty seats on the board that would have tipped the balance, sitting vacant for the entirety of Biden’s term.
Not to excuse Biden, because he has fucked up on multiple fronts, but aren’t those appointments dependent on Senate confirmations and thus sitting mostly empty under Obama, which let the Cheeto Bandito take over in the first place? And IDK if the Senate would have confirmed any Biden nominees. Wouldn’t have hurt to try though.
Biden appointed, and the Senate confirmed, enough postal board members to get rid of DeJoy if Biden wanted.
But DeJoy is still there, and it’s 1000% because Biden did not want to get rid of him.
It isn’t a business, it is a service, it costs money that our taxes pay, so we don’t have to pay shitty private companies. (And it still makes money) “Let’s make the Mail just like ISPs” is a stupid take.
We should be making ISPs more like the mail.
… it costs money that our taxes pay …
Nope. USPS is entirely internally funded. No tax money goes to it at all.
I’m not an accelerationist, but what’s left to do now except bathe in the worm glow of our country burning down?
There is no arguing that America doesn’t deserve all the bad things, and maybe a good old fashioned conflagration would straighten the survivors out for a generation or two.
I’m not an accelerationist, but what’s left to do now except bathe in the worm glow of our country burning down?
Well it’s certainly not enough to just luxuriate in the chaos. Every time Trump makes things worse it’s our job to point it out and explain why he’s doing it. People won’t radicalize on their own! They’ll just blame immigrants and woke and DEI etc etc.
Do you hear yourself? You want revolution through explaining?
Trump supporters are not confused progressives. Trump is what America wants, He’s what America is. He’s what America deserves. Trump is more American than bullets and ground beef. He hasn’t overthrown the founders, he’s fulfilled their vision. We’re not going to change that by scolding people on the internet.
I understand, I used to think just like you. I used to be a patriot. I’ve voted for every Democrat presidential nominee from Gore to Harris. But these days I’m writing to the State to take my name off those goddam rolls. I suppose you’ll take a dim view of that, but no bullshit about civic duty, democracy, or engagement could ever compare to the tangible material benefit of avoiding jury duty.
I don’t wanna save America anymore. In fact I think her decline is funny and I’m tired of pretending it’s not.
Yeah! Fuck all the people who will be hurt and killed throughout. That’s funny!
Who gives a shit about Trump supporters? The vast majority didn’t vote for Trump if you count non-voters.
Also don’t dare call me a patriot. Death to America!
No arguments that the internet is a worthless place to educate people, though. This is just for fun.
Because a lot of mostly innocent people get hurt the most when it all collapses around us, and most likely you’ll also be hit by the effects of the collapse. It’s why it’s so important we work to fix the broken things and change what is wrong, and to be there for other people when things do break down rather than just wipe our hands and let the whole thing fall uncontrolled and unprepared.
Given the country’s current mood, is it really wise for the oligarchs to threaten the livelihoods of the very group that gave us the expression going postal?
The postal service doesn’t lose money, it costs money.
By this logic, the interstate highway system and the military both lose billions! Is Trump going to privatize them too?
Don’t give him ideas. He probably would.
Don’t give it ideas.
Don’t forget National and State parks - public lands in general. WhY ArEn’T tHeY tUrNiNg a PRooooFiT??
Dont forget the fire department
You’re right, and that one isn’t even hyperbole. They earnestly want to turn the parks into oil fields and cut down the forests.
Thats not even a true statement.
The postal service makes money, but any surpless is automatically taken by Congress.
In the early 2000s the GOP passed a law requiring the postal service to upfront load the retirement funds of new employees, creating a massive debt burden.
Also, Congress has removed their ability to modernize equipment and fleets, forcing them to continue repairing aged equipment.
Not to mention, DeJoy, Trump’s installment during his first term, has done everything he can to dismantle any modernization because he wants the Post Office sold at rock bottom prices so he can buy it, get this, because he owns competing companies.
modernize equipment and fleets
They’re getting those new electric trucks though.
Which Trump is already talking about cancelling the contract for…
And the company making them isn’t doing the best job at it… Even though they got a shot ton of money and have only made like 90 of these things of the 3000 they are contracted for
They were getting new electric fleets, the Umpa-lumpa in chief already said hes canx’ing that.
I, too, have trouble remembering how many “L” s are in canceling.
Education is being defunded too.
Can’t spend money on sinfrastructure.
Get ready for more train derailments!
Republicans wish to destroy any public service. That has always been their mission.
For fuck’s sake, it’s not meant to make money, it’s a public service - it’s literally in the name!
I wish more countries governments would get their head out of their capitalistic arses and understand that the services they run aren’t meant to be profitable - that’s what taxes are meant to be for!
You’re going to have to get with the times. Everything has to make money or it’s scrapped including us.
I’m no economist but at some point doesn’t that fall apart? If everything needs to be generating then aren’t we creating a vacuum at the bottom or whatever? Money has to come in and go out equally in the end, no?
The model has to change once you reach the vacuum state. Usually via violent implosion.
Huh…
Maybe if we just don’t think about that, things will turn out perfectly fine.
It does, and that’s manifested in increasing labour requirements, and consumer spending.
The US solves it by using slaves and debt.
Amen, brother.
I love that so much I might have to steal it
As did I, brother.
Edit - I don’t know why I keep calling you brother.
I just need to know if it’s '80s wrestler, clergyman, or motorcycle club, I don’t really mind in any case I just need to know what voice to read it in…
Hmm of those choices I’m going with motorcycle club. It’s the closest for sure.
I can probably pull off 80s wrestler in a pinch.
Meh. The usps delivers mostly junk mail. Occasionally they deliver a bill. The packages they deliver could be covered by others. There will be gaps in rural areas of course. But those are the people who steadfastly vote for smaller government. So they most be okay with it. I say, let it go. Junk mail will cease because a private business would have to charge to much. Bills and such would go electronic… like the denial letter from anthem that they rufused to tell me the contents of. That all sounds good to me.
You know what else the USPS delivers? Anything to a rural address that UPS and FedEx and the others won’t deliver to. Because those private companies can refuse to deliver to places but the USPS can’t. And you know what is in those packages? Things not easily gotten to rural places. Like medication.
I literally said that. The people in rural areas overwhelmingly voted for this. It’s their will. They don’t like programs that only benefit specific groups like the poor or disabled. Rural is just another group right.
I don’t think all those indigenous villages on islands in Alaska voted for this.
I have read enough of your comments to know that you know the difference between overwhelming and all.
Sure. I do. I don’t know how you could know what the people who live in areas that only the USPS is willing to serve overwhelmingly voted for, but feel free to show me those statistics.
And the ones who don’t? Fuck them?
That is about rural Americans, not Americans who live in areas that only the USPS is willing to serve. There is a massive difference.
I’m a rural American. You have to go down a country road and up a highway for about 10 minutes to get to the nearest town. UPS, FedEx and Amazon all deliver right to my door.
Holy shit what a stupid fucking take.
Take your pointless comments back to reddit where they belong.
I don’t consider calling out garbage takes to be pointless.
That’s why you belong on reddit.
Ohh I’d love for you to elaborate on why… Why is calling someone out for a bad take something that belongs on reddit?
Your anecdotal evidence is fucking retarded fyi
You must be high. I didn’t provide any evidence. I just gave an opinion paired with a comment about obvious hypocrisy.
There’s a HUGE real estate incentive here. Yeah the service can make tons of money for whatever company comes in but the real estate imo is the big one.
And how would you privatize an entity that’s in the Constitution? I wonder how that’d look…
Consitution? PFffffft!!
Does everything have to be a business to this guy? Some things are government services bcz they need to be done, and private businesses wouldn’t make money off it. Not everything needs to be an attempt at making money off people.
IF THEY PRIVATIZE THE FUCKING MAIL I AM GOING TO SCREAM. Is nothing sacred?
