Everything now coming from the White House is about Trump’s reelection. While all presidential candidates want to win, they are usually able to accept the idea of a loss. Trump, though, has gone so far as to suggest delaying the election, an unprecedented step which would buy him some time in the hope a coronavirus vaccine would help the U.S. crawl out of the hole it’s in and turn his popularity around.
Talk about shooting the messenger....! Same attitude with his threat to ban Tik-Tok because the kids made him look like a clown at Tulsa. When I moved back to Paris from Washington the USPS faithfully and without charge redirected all my mail over the Atlantic for a year. The British Royal Mail wanted to charge me 250 pounds for the same service in similar circumstances without giving any guarantee of performance and the French would like to charge me 50 Euros a month just to ensure my Paris mail gets to me in Provence and IT DOESN'T WORK half the time. Saving the USPS and keeping it out of the Oligarchs' hands is an absolutely essential condition of maintaining freedom and democracy.
I've read the past three days of Dr. Richardson's newsletter at a single sitting (I fell behind due to final exams and laziness) and now want to hide under the bed. But I've done that before, and have found that it gets boring after a while, makes my bones ache, and smells funny.
For some reason, the continued attacks on the Post Office grieve me more than anything else in these posts, even though some of the other recent acts by Trump and his supporters are a more direct threat to our republic. What they're doing to the USPS is a favorite oligarch scheme, one that's not just limited to Republican despots, unfortunately; although the Dems are many shades better than their Republican counterparts, they are, by no means, saints. (Hell's Bells, sometimes they aren't even "the good guys.")
It works very simply: (1) select an agency that some rich set of donors wants to buy or destroy, (2) mismanage, underfund, and place impossible demands on that agency, and (3) when it suffers the inevitable collapse, declare that it's a sign that government is inefficient and doesn't work, then (4) sell the assets to the rich donors in exchange for favors and campaign donations. This has happened at other agencies and is usually done without much fanfare, since few people outside of government service realize that the "deep state" Trump and his enablers rail about is simply the machinery of a functioning government.
I've often found it hard to think of anything I can do to support the USPS, besides vote and write letters to my representatives. After all, I don't send many letters or packages. I don't own a business that does. All I do is buy a fistful of pretty stamps every December for my annual Xmas letter, and I don't think that's going to keep them afloat.
But something did occur to me after watching an Amazon Prime truck deliver a package to my house yesterday. What if, whenever I bought something online, I chose the shipping option that routed it through the USPS? It may take a little longer (although it usually doesn't), but I'm seldom in a real rush and I'd rather support an organization that works for the whole country, instead of one, like FedEx or UPS, that works primarily for rich people.
So that's what I shall do, I shall henceforth use the United States Post Office for every shipping option. If we want the Post Office to remain, we have to use it, not just vote for representatives who may support it (although that's important, too).
I took the class to be an Election Inspector this week. I signed up for 2 early voting sessions and half a day on Election Day. I’m going to the post office to buy stamps even though I don’t need them. I’m going to the farmers market with a mask on to buy local. I will not let despair keep me from inaction. I will not let my ego tell me these things don’t matter and it’s a lost cause. 🙏
Although it is nice to know who the next President will be before midnight on Election Day, it is not necessary as inauguration of this person does not take place until January. If the Republicans are serious (?) about safe elections, I would think they would advocate for mail-in voting and the careful counting of the votes. I see a massive clash coming from the public as this administration seems to delve further into la-la land. And speaking of the Post Office, I, as well as many other people, get their medications through the mail. Many health insurance plans practically require this. The continuing existence of this institution should not come down to 45's jealousy of another person. I think I will write my senator, Mr. McConnell, and suggest since the Post Office is such a horror to his party, he can stop mailing campaign literature to me. (I no longer contact Rand Paul as I cannot deal with another toddler in office.)
Yet another sickening Trump attack on an American institution. The nonprofit agency I work for publishes books. We rely on the post office for the delivery of our books to a significant number of customers. The post office has always served us well -- we prefer it to UPS. But we've seen delivery delays cropping up in the past few weeks.
Whenever someone complains about the post office, I give them a letter and 55 cents and say, "take this to Nome."
I believe the people of the United States will not allow our Postal Service to be destroyed. It should be being improved and supported, not attacked and depleted. And it should never be politicized.
I have had relatives who have worked for USPS back to my grandfather working the postal pick up in trains. I remember him talking about mail hanging on a bar as they’d pull into a station and he’d have to exchange the bags for coming going.
Just a ridiculous travesty they’ve placed upon this government institution! I’ve been shipping packages and buying stamps. Even have a set of Last Week Tonight stamps put out by John Oliver! Attacking the Postal Service? Really? Strange stupid sad time we live in! 💙
I just realized that when Dr. Fauci testified at the House Committee yesterday, he was wearing the World Series face mask he earned from having the honor to throw out the first pitch at the Yankee game, the one trump said he was too busy for but in fact had not even been invited. How’s that for a brilliant F You from Fauci! ⚾️
Back to USPS and voting, so now we not only have to get out the vote, but we also have to get people to vote in person as much as possible. And bring water bottles, snacks, hold-the-place-in-line-for-a-restroom-break, etc. to support waiting in line.
Sounds like an excellent mission for the TikTok crew, a great way to channel their revenge for trump’s threat to ban TikTok.
In addition to destroying the USPS to swing the election, once millions of people are kicked out of their homes, since the Senate couldn’t agree a bill to these people, their access to voting will also be at risk.
"We are now engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure." Edit for 2020: uncivil war
All of this is a distraction from 153,000 dead from the Coronavirus and the loss of the last five years economic gain. Trump is the master of showing the next distraction to our ADHD media and population. Agree that the USPS must be preserved. Too many depend on it. Let’s get these numbskulls out in in November and start the long process of repairing the damage. And another thing! How in the heck can Trump ban TikTok? There is no country firewall like China. He has zero means of enforcement.
We must ask for our Mail In Ballots NOW. And either Mail them NOW or return them to the secure lock boxes NOW. In Atlanta and some suburbs we have lock boxes at police precincts and government centers. Time is of the essence. If we push to have mail in voting complete by October...many will not have to stand in the lines. This IS the most important election since the CIVIL WAR. Sadly most Americans don’t see the undermining that is chipping away at our freedoms. Wish the ACLU and Stacey Abrams would sound the Alarms.
I think Jeff Bezos should buy the Trump Organization and shut it all down. Let's face it, he can afford to. He's got multiples of the billions Trump only claims to have, and it would rot Trump's socks!
Seriously, the subject of mail-away pharmacies is a significant worry. I get mine via mail, as some other commenters do. I have been making sure I order with plenty of lead time since the pandemic.
Many seniors not only get their routine meds by mail, the still get a paper check from Social Security. If McConnell, Trump and Mnuchin really want to piss off the Grey Panther contingent, just delay their Social Security check!
I hope I'm right believing they have really stepped in it with this bone-headed move. My fear is that it will have to be implemented before people wake up and see how much has been lost, and rebuilding is often harder than maintaining. And more costly.
My father worked for the USPS until his retirement. He started as a letter carrier then moved to clerk, assistant superintendent and finally Postal Inspector. It was a place to be promoted within the ranks based on ability. He took great pride in his work. I see so much pressure for our local postal workers. Budget cuts have driven poor sanitation in many local facilities and workers have become sick.
Our mail is already on a delayed system it seems undoubtedly driven by cutbacks.
Yes, my father had good retirement benefits, but he was also not eligible for Social Security.
You would think this would drive rural residents to vote for a candidate that would not drive up their costs. It won't lower their taxes.
I don't see why people continue to support the stereotypical GOP candidate because of one issue like abortion. But it is all about money and oligarchy.
Talk about shooting the messenger....! Same attitude with his threat to ban Tik-Tok because the kids made him look like a clown at Tulsa. When I moved back to Paris from Washington the USPS faithfully and without charge redirected all my mail over the Atlantic for a year. The British Royal Mail wanted to charge me 250 pounds for the same service in similar circumstances without giving any guarantee of performance and the French would like to charge me 50 Euros a month just to ensure my Paris mail gets to me in Provence and IT DOESN'T WORK half the time. Saving the USPS and keeping it out of the Oligarchs' hands is an absolutely essential condition of maintaining freedom and democracy.
I've read the past three days of Dr. Richardson's newsletter at a single sitting (I fell behind due to final exams and laziness) and now want to hide under the bed. But I've done that before, and have found that it gets boring after a while, makes my bones ache, and smells funny.
For some reason, the continued attacks on the Post Office grieve me more than anything else in these posts, even though some of the other recent acts by Trump and his supporters are a more direct threat to our republic. What they're doing to the USPS is a favorite oligarch scheme, one that's not just limited to Republican despots, unfortunately; although the Dems are many shades better than their Republican counterparts, they are, by no means, saints. (Hell's Bells, sometimes they aren't even "the good guys.")
It works very simply: (1) select an agency that some rich set of donors wants to buy or destroy, (2) mismanage, underfund, and place impossible demands on that agency, and (3) when it suffers the inevitable collapse, declare that it's a sign that government is inefficient and doesn't work, then (4) sell the assets to the rich donors in exchange for favors and campaign donations. This has happened at other agencies and is usually done without much fanfare, since few people outside of government service realize that the "deep state" Trump and his enablers rail about is simply the machinery of a functioning government.
I've often found it hard to think of anything I can do to support the USPS, besides vote and write letters to my representatives. After all, I don't send many letters or packages. I don't own a business that does. All I do is buy a fistful of pretty stamps every December for my annual Xmas letter, and I don't think that's going to keep them afloat.
But something did occur to me after watching an Amazon Prime truck deliver a package to my house yesterday. What if, whenever I bought something online, I chose the shipping option that routed it through the USPS? It may take a little longer (although it usually doesn't), but I'm seldom in a real rush and I'd rather support an organization that works for the whole country, instead of one, like FedEx or UPS, that works primarily for rich people.
So that's what I shall do, I shall henceforth use the United States Post Office for every shipping option. If we want the Post Office to remain, we have to use it, not just vote for representatives who may support it (although that's important, too).
Jeff Bezos should bail out the USPS with a few billions <pocket change>
I took the class to be an Election Inspector this week. I signed up for 2 early voting sessions and half a day on Election Day. I’m going to the post office to buy stamps even though I don’t need them. I’m going to the farmers market with a mask on to buy local. I will not let despair keep me from inaction. I will not let my ego tell me these things don’t matter and it’s a lost cause. 🙏
Although it is nice to know who the next President will be before midnight on Election Day, it is not necessary as inauguration of this person does not take place until January. If the Republicans are serious (?) about safe elections, I would think they would advocate for mail-in voting and the careful counting of the votes. I see a massive clash coming from the public as this administration seems to delve further into la-la land. And speaking of the Post Office, I, as well as many other people, get their medications through the mail. Many health insurance plans practically require this. The continuing existence of this institution should not come down to 45's jealousy of another person. I think I will write my senator, Mr. McConnell, and suggest since the Post Office is such a horror to his party, he can stop mailing campaign literature to me. (I no longer contact Rand Paul as I cannot deal with another toddler in office.)
Yet another sickening Trump attack on an American institution. The nonprofit agency I work for publishes books. We rely on the post office for the delivery of our books to a significant number of customers. The post office has always served us well -- we prefer it to UPS. But we've seen delivery delays cropping up in the past few weeks.
Whenever someone complains about the post office, I give them a letter and 55 cents and say, "take this to Nome."
I believe the people of the United States will not allow our Postal Service to be destroyed. It should be being improved and supported, not attacked and depleted. And it should never be politicized.
I have had relatives who have worked for USPS back to my grandfather working the postal pick up in trains. I remember him talking about mail hanging on a bar as they’d pull into a station and he’d have to exchange the bags for coming going.
Just a ridiculous travesty they’ve placed upon this government institution! I’ve been shipping packages and buying stamps. Even have a set of Last Week Tonight stamps put out by John Oliver! Attacking the Postal Service? Really? Strange stupid sad time we live in! 💙
I just realized that when Dr. Fauci testified at the House Committee yesterday, he was wearing the World Series face mask he earned from having the honor to throw out the first pitch at the Yankee game, the one trump said he was too busy for but in fact had not even been invited. How’s that for a brilliant F You from Fauci! ⚾️
Back to USPS and voting, so now we not only have to get out the vote, but we also have to get people to vote in person as much as possible. And bring water bottles, snacks, hold-the-place-in-line-for-a-restroom-break, etc. to support waiting in line.
Sounds like an excellent mission for the TikTok crew, a great way to channel their revenge for trump’s threat to ban TikTok.
https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/overnights/510060-overnight-health-care-five-takeaways-from-faucis-testimony-cdc
In addition to destroying the USPS to swing the election, once millions of people are kicked out of their homes, since the Senate couldn’t agree a bill to these people, their access to voting will also be at risk.
"We are now engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure." Edit for 2020: uncivil war
All of this is a distraction from 153,000 dead from the Coronavirus and the loss of the last five years economic gain. Trump is the master of showing the next distraction to our ADHD media and population. Agree that the USPS must be preserved. Too many depend on it. Let’s get these numbskulls out in in November and start the long process of repairing the damage. And another thing! How in the heck can Trump ban TikTok? There is no country firewall like China. He has zero means of enforcement.
We must ask for our Mail In Ballots NOW. And either Mail them NOW or return them to the secure lock boxes NOW. In Atlanta and some suburbs we have lock boxes at police precincts and government centers. Time is of the essence. If we push to have mail in voting complete by October...many will not have to stand in the lines. This IS the most important election since the CIVIL WAR. Sadly most Americans don’t see the undermining that is chipping away at our freedoms. Wish the ACLU and Stacey Abrams would sound the Alarms.
I think Jeff Bezos should buy the Trump Organization and shut it all down. Let's face it, he can afford to. He's got multiples of the billions Trump only claims to have, and it would rot Trump's socks!
Seriously, the subject of mail-away pharmacies is a significant worry. I get mine via mail, as some other commenters do. I have been making sure I order with plenty of lead time since the pandemic.
Many seniors not only get their routine meds by mail, the still get a paper check from Social Security. If McConnell, Trump and Mnuchin really want to piss off the Grey Panther contingent, just delay their Social Security check!
I hope I'm right believing they have really stepped in it with this bone-headed move. My fear is that it will have to be implemented before people wake up and see how much has been lost, and rebuilding is often harder than maintaining. And more costly.
I am just tired of Republicans’ attempts to destroy the country. McConnell (And others) must go. Why is this behavior acceptable?
My father worked for the USPS until his retirement. He started as a letter carrier then moved to clerk, assistant superintendent and finally Postal Inspector. It was a place to be promoted within the ranks based on ability. He took great pride in his work. I see so much pressure for our local postal workers. Budget cuts have driven poor sanitation in many local facilities and workers have become sick.
Our mail is already on a delayed system it seems undoubtedly driven by cutbacks.
Yes, my father had good retirement benefits, but he was also not eligible for Social Security.
You would think this would drive rural residents to vote for a candidate that would not drive up their costs. It won't lower their taxes.
I don't see why people continue to support the stereotypical GOP candidate because of one issue like abortion. But it is all about money and oligarchy.