Trump expected to take control of USPS and fire postal board | Hacker News Reader

Trump expected to take control of USPS and fire postal board

washingtonpost.com

68 pointsandygcook20 comments

The USPS is one of those institutions that disproportionately benefits the rural population. Part of the reason it’s cumbersome and unprofitable is that they deliver mail to pretty much everyone, including VERY out of the way places where it wouldn’t be profitable for a private company to offer service. Since so much of his voter base is rural I __hope__ he won’t absolutely wreck it out of self interest, but I’ve mistakenly expected him to face consequences enough times that I have no clue.

I believe that's not a valid line of reasoning.

It might be like saying high state taxes benefit the cities.

https://archive.is/kJJcs

I wonder if this will hinder vote by mail somehow.

As a non US citizen, based on how aggressively the the republican party seems to play with voter suppression it wouldn't seem unlikely that there won't be vote by mail in the next election.

US elections are run entirely by state government, for precisely this reason.

They are, but what can a state government do if the administration directs USPS to refuse ballots? Even if they file a lawsuit and win an injunction, should voters or state election officials trust the administration to fully comply?

At lot of things which are well-established norms and procedures are being thrown out at a record pace with this administration, why would this be any different?

I can't help but wonder if vote by mail is statistically favors one party over another.

Party? Probably not. However, it would favor the working class as not everyone can take a day to go to the polls. It also helps the elderly, medically fragile, and others who otherwise have trouble getting to the polls. Nevermind the voters who happen to be traveling abroad and want to cast their votes.

I really want to see if this will result in USPS being less bad.

As with plenty of other things he is doing, this is illegal. The President of the United States is engaging in flagrantly illegal behavior on a daily basis as 30% of the country cheers him on.

Since the administration has openly stated that it intends to flout the judicial branch, I'm honestly curious to see how long the Supreme Court's majority stays attached to the position they staked in Trump v. US.

These are men (and woman) who have climbed the highest, most prestigious rung in the profession. Even if for purely egotistical reasons, it's hard to imagine they will have endless patience to watch the institution over which they preside become irrelevant.

Unless they're corrupt and are only using their position to enrich themselves. What good is the institution if you can't make any money from it, especially when they see the other two branches doing the same?

I may be wrong about this, but I don't think "grubby wealth accumulator" fits the psychological profile. I think these are people more interested in power and prestige, and to an extent ideology and legacy. As they weaken the institution, they weaken their own standing.

Yes, that's a tough one to solve. Will need to amend Constitution to allow President to appoint and fire judges at any time. As to the 3/4 of states requirement, a creative solution will have to be found. For example, split Alabama into 20 small states.

They can be “replaced” so easily by him. In a few weeks we could have 19 justices serving. They’re subservient like the rest of the republicans. They aren’t the last wall against fascism. They will kiss the ring.

The government is clearly incapable of stopping him, so in the end, it doesn't really matter if it's illegal or not. He'll do it because he can, and he'll get away with it.

It __does__ matter. Pointing out that somebody is flagrantly and openly defying their oath to the constitution is important. It’s important to note that we are no longer a liberal democracy. It is important to call out the fact our republic has ended.

Very fair point.

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