What if some Congressman started a crusade to save Western Union? What would you think? What would most people think? I'm guessing the common reaction would be, Why? Why save a service when there are alternatives that are so much faster, cheaper and more convenient?
And it seems to me, we are in the same position with the US Postal Service. The New York Times has an editorial on the Postal Service's woes, that makes an excellent point then goes off the rails pretty quickly.
It seems to me the ontology of the Post Office recapitulates the phylogeny of the Federal Government. A perceived (not necessarily actual) market failure results in a government solution, which crowds out market-based solutions, becames a bloated, sclertoic, enterprise unresponsive to consumers and ultimately falls victim to cheaper, faster, more convenient offerings. But the inertia of the organization and the desire by politicians to hold onto power and patronage prevent progressive change (with all that alliteration I feel like Spiro Agnew!) to the organization, ultimately resulting in a funding crisis.
We have witnessed the future of Obamacare. It is called the USPS.
Bill
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