Is the US Post Office socialism?

[ponderingturtle]

There's a lefitimate government interest in maintaining pubic transportation in congested areas. In rural areas, not so much. As for railroads I give you the basket case known as Amtrak.

And there is no goverment interest in having a means of desseminating information?

Funny, our mayor just sold our turnpike to a private company.

Shouldn't have ever built it in the first place. If it was needed the private company would have built it.

 

[ponderingturtle]

You have it exactly backwards. Private companies could do quite well on the profitable routes. It's the 2% of the population that lives in bufu Egypt that should be subsidized by the government.

So take away profit from the post office and run it entirely at a loss, so private companies can make more money?

You must love the higher overheads of private insurance companies running medicare. It is better because it costs more and permits private industry to rape the public for more money.

 

[ponderingturtle]

News flash. USPS does it already. Lots of offices ARE closing. I have a post office box because the government can't afford to deliver my mail already. It's been that way for 15 years here. I get all my packages UPS or FEDEX. I get my mail about once a week when I feel like going to get it.

Good now they should close that post office and make you drive to two towns over for your mail.

 

[Tailgater]

Good now they should close that post office and make you drive to two towns over for your mail.

I wouldn't doubt it. They are already decreasing hours and days they are open. I'm pissed they took the stamp machine out a few months ago and I buy them at the UPS store.

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

That's called ENRON. If you think that was a good idea, I do NOT want you ever to hold public office.

It's also called a couple thousand other utilities who didn't commit fraud. If you think Enron is a normal example of privately run utilities, I do NOT want you ever to hold public office.

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

Trouble is that, as a publicly-traded company, they can be forced to sell to the next ENRON if the money is right. "Fiduciary responsibility" is great for speculators, pure hell for consumers who want a choice.

If you believe what you wrote, then you know absolutely nothing about the electric utility business and should leave this thread.

 

[leftysergeant]

If you believe what you wrote, then you know absolutely nothing about the electric utility business and should leave this thread.

You haven't been paying attention.

ENRON used its financial leverage to corrupt politicians to let them do what nobody else had done before. All it takes is a shifty businessman with a lot of leverage and a few corrupt politicians willing to bend or re-write the regs.

 

[WildCat]

And there is no goverment interest in having a means of desseminating information?

Of course there is. But the issue is moot because there are currently a multitude of means of disseminating information.

Shouldn't have ever built it in the first place. If it was needed the private company would have built it.

Oh I agree it shouldn't have been built. It was a white elephant from the get-go, as there was a parallel freeway.

 

[The Central Scrutinizer]

You haven't been paying attention.

ENRON used its financial leverage to corrupt politicians to let them do what nobody else had done before. All it takes is a shifty businessman with a lot of leverage and a few corrupt politicians willing to bend or re-write the regs.

Way to move them goalposts.

You seem oddly obsessed with Enron.

 

[WildCat]

So take away profit from the post office and run it entirely at a loss, so private companies can make more money?

The post office is losing billions as it is, so there is no profit to take away. The $7 billion or so they're losing now would be better spent servicing the few areas private businesses would not serve. And private businesses have already shown they can service the profitable areas better and cheaper than the Feds can, so the net cost to the public would be less.

You must love the higher overheads of private insurance companies running medicare. It is better because it costs more and permits private industry to rape the public for more money.

I'd like to see Medicare abolished and a system such as they have in the Netherlands put in place where private insurance is mandatory for all and the government is reduced to a regulatory role and also subsidizing premiums for lower income people on a sliding scale.

Would you like to compare the costs/benefits of our system compared to theirs?

 

[WildCat]

You haven't been paying attention.

ENRON used its financial leverage to corrupt politicians to let them do what nobody else had done before. All it takes is a shifty businessman with a lot of leverage and a few corrupt politicians willing to bend or re-write the regs.

Yes, we should let the government do it all. They could never be bought or corrupted!

 

[ponderingturtle]

Of course there is. But the issue is moot because there are currently a multitude of means of disseminating information.

So we now have to force phone companies to give everyone free phones and internet companies to give everyone free internet? What other system to we have that is universal?

Oh I agree it shouldn't have been built. It was a white elephant from the get-go, as there was a parallel freeway.

All freeways are a public boondoggle to destroy the private railroad industry right?

 

[ponderingturtle]

The post office is losing billions as it is, so there is no profit to take away. The $7 billion or so they're losing now would be better spent servicing the few areas private businesses would not serve. And private businesses have already shown they can service the profitable areas better and cheaper than the Feds can, so the net cost to the public would be less.

So how are you doing with your legal requirement for alternative ways of comunication?

 

[ponderingturtle]

I'd like to see Medicare abolished and a system such as they have in the Netherlands put in place where private insurance is mandatory for all and the government is reduced to a regulatory role and also subsidizing premiums for lower income people on a sliding scale.

Would you like to compare the costs/benefits of our system compared to theirs?

Of course our system is better, look at how much more money our insurance companies are making. They just don't know how to run for privat companies if they can't earn the kinds of profit we are.

Profit is what private companies are for after all right?

 

[The Painter]

You haven't been paying attention.

ENRON used its financial leverage to corrupt politicians to let them do what nobody else had done before. All it takes is a shifty businessman with a lot of leverage and a few corrupt politicians willing to bend or re-write the regs.

Let me fix this for you.


ENRON Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac used its financial leverage to corrupt politicians to let them do what nobody else had done before. All it takes is a shifty businessman with a lot of leverage and a few corrupt politicians willing to bend or re-write the regs

 

[ponderingturtle]

Let me fix this for you.


ENRON Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac used its financial leverage to corrupt politicians to let them do what nobody else had done before. All it takes is a shifty businessman with a lot of leverage and a few corrupt politicians willing to bend or re-write the regs

They then rewrote the laws requireing people to buy loans that had no verification of income at all. It was all the goverments fault they made the companies give out the bad loans where there was no verification of employment or income at all, to people irregardless of any past and with no checks at all. Then they required people to buy these loans.

 

[WildCat]

So we now have to force phone companies to give everyone free phones and internet companies to give everyone free internet? What other system to we have that is universal?

How on earth did you come to that conclusion from my answer?

All freeways are a public boondoggle to destroy the private railroad industry right?

Conspiracy Theories is thataway -------------->

So how are you doing with your legal requirement for alternative ways of comunication?

"My" legal requirement? Could you link to the post where I advocated such a thing?

Of course our system is better, look at how much more money our insurance companies are making. They just don't know how to run for privat companies if they can't earn the kinds of profit we are.

Profit is what private companies are for after all right?

They make similar profits as ours do, maybe even more. It's other areas where costs are growing out of control. Insurance companies don't set the rates of doctors, hospitals, pharmaceuticals, lawyers, etc etc. But they do have to pay them.

Maybe you should start here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_in_the_Netherlands

eta: I also note that despite having many posters here from the Netherlands and other European countries with similar systems there is not a single thread here complaining about how those sytems are too costly, leave many people uninsured, lead to medical bankruptcy, etc etc.

 

[DC]

How on earth did you come to that conclusion from my answer?


Conspiracy Theories is thataway -------------->


"My" legal requirement? Could you link to the post where I advocated such a thing?


They make similar profits as ours do, maybe even more. It's other areas where costs are growing out of control. Insurance companies don't set the rates of doctors, hospitals, pharmaceuticals, lawyers, etc etc. But they do have to pay them.

Maybe you should start here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_in_the_Netherlands

eta: I also note that despite having many posters here from the Netherlands and other European countries with similar systems there is not a single thread here complaining about how those sytems are too costly, leave many people uninsured, lead to medical bankruptcy, etc etc.

are you still talking Postoffice or is it Healthcare now?

 

[ponderingturtle]

How on earth did you come to that conclusion from my answer?

You talked about new technology replaceing the post office. To do so you need to be able to send a message to anyone. That means that they need a method of recieving. SO you need to provide people with a method of recieving such communications.

 

[WildCat]

are you still talking Postoffice or is it Healthcare now?

Hey, ponderingturtle is all over the place. I'm just answering his/her questions.