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Is Postal Privatization Worthwhile?mises.org/power-market/postal-privatization-worthwhile
126 sats \ 8 comments \ @Rothbardian_fanatic 7 Jan Politics_And_Law
Trump correctly points out that consumers already choose between private package deliverers. However, the USPS also faces crushing competition from digital forms of correspondence. USPS mail volume has declined steadily, and postal employment has fallen from 900k in 1999 to 600k now. This decline coincides with steady population growth. The truth here is that the USPS continues to function for two main reasons: the nostalgic value of traditional letter deliveries to some, and stalwart support for every bit of the public sector by ideologues.
Looks like there are a lot of reasons to go private and a few to stay as a public service. The solution may be to just let anybody deliver the post (letters) that wants to do that business. Then let the USPS live or die by competition.
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32 sats \ 7 replies \ @kepford 7 Jan
let the USPS live or die by competition
Yes. Every government or pseudo-government service should receive zero market protections from competition. Same goes for police, fire, utilities, education, the list goes on.
Remove taxes and make these so called amazing services the government provides compete for business like every other service. Then watch as the government services either die or get better due to competition.
I mean this is basic logic that outside of government most people understand. If I have a monopoly I can provide crap service. When competition enters I have to adapt and provide better services. There is nothing magical about the USPS or any government "service".
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69 sats \ 6 replies \ @Rothbardian_fanatic OP 7 Jan
The purposes and goals of the government are different from private purposes and goals. A good book to read about this situation and understand completely what is going on is Mises’ Bureaucracy. The incentive structures for both of them are completely different and at odds. It is why the USPS will never make a profit, much less break even.
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10 sats \ 5 replies \ @kepford 7 Jan
Yeah, you are correct.
My points are mostly rhetorical and I use them on people that do not view the government accurately. They don't see the monopoly it holds in so many areas and how it distorts the free market.
You rightly point out the different incentive structure of gov agencies. My framing is also to help people get a proper view to taxes because when we say "taxation is theft" one response is "what about all the services you get for them". Well... lets talk about that.
I'd be happy to pay money for a service but that's not how taxes work nor how government services work.
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51 sats \ 4 replies \ @Rothbardian_fanatic OP 7 Jan
Yes, this is why I think that Mises’ book is so important. It gives the reasons and the explanation from the ground up on the whys and wherefores of the differences between public and private enterprises. BTW, this is another reason I think Trump might be tilting at windmills. He is basically a private enterprise type of guy whereas he is now running a bureaucracy, a public enterprise. They don’t work the same way, at all. Musk and Ramaswamy are private enterprise guys, too. They are all going to need the help of bureaucrats that are on their wavelength to get anything they want done, done. They have to find someone or many that speak both languages and think both ways. I think those people are very few and far between.
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10 sats \ 3 replies \ @kepford 7 Jan
They are all going to need the help of bureaucrats that are on their wavelength to get anything they want done, done.
Yep, been saying this in other ways. The old BBC show "Yes, Minister!" should be required viewing for anyone interested in reforming government.
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55 sats \ 2 replies \ @Rothbardian_fanatic OP 7 Jan
I think this is one of the reason why the state just keeps on growing. The more the merrier and everyone can have more underlings. It is feudalism on steroids, in my opinion. The only thing is it also so dehumanizing.
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10 sats \ 1 reply \ @kepford 7 Jan
100%
This is why I don't think you can really reform it. It has to die. I just hope it isn't by revolution. I'd rather see alternate systems grow and supplant it. That's the best case. Worst case is collapse without alt systems.
Bitcoin is hopeful to me in this context.
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Rothbardian_fanatic OP 7 Jan
BTC certainly covers the money end of things but not much else. I think that private enterprise could cover much of the rest as long as the state gets out of the way and no new gangs solidify control. Revolutions do not seem to work well and are impermanent.
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