Conservatives and Progressives believe in the power of government. Conservatives think that government can build democracies abroad and enforce morality. Progressives think government can lift people out of poverty and correct market failures.
This faith in government is simply astounding, given the evidence to the contrary. Government is charged with some big tasks. Some of them are necessary. But often, it can’t even do the little things. Have a look at these two news stories:
Stimulus Checks Sent to the Dead
Postal Union Election Delayed After Ballots Lost in the Mail
Washington has centuries of experience cutting checks and delivering the mail. You’d think they’d have it down by now; apparently not. Even so, politicians from both parties are still pushing for more, more, more. The right wants more military spending. The left wants more entitlement spending. They have all the faith in the world that their proposals will work as intended.
Sometimes, being a classical liberal feels like being the only atheist in a room full of believers.
According to a new United States Postal Service regulation, all fake grenades and other “replica or inert explosive devices,” must be sent via Registered Mail.
You must also write ‘‘REPLICA EXPLOSIVE’’ on the package “using at least 20 point type or letters at least 1?4-inch high.”
Unlike most Regulations of the Day, this makes some sense. Many a post office has shut down because of false bomb scares. An uncle sending his nephew a birthday present could theoretically grind a major city’s mail service to a halt.
That isn’t the uncle’s fault; it’s the hyper-sensitive post-9/11 security mindset’s fault. Sadly, that mindset won’t be going away any time soon. This rule will hopefully prevent some false positives . Labeling the package lets postal workers know that they need not freak out. The Registered Mail requirement allows postal workers to verify that the grenades are, indeed, harmless.
Of course, the new rule treats the symptom, not the disease. It should hopefully reduce the amount of unnecessary bomb scares. But the real problem is the ingrained human habit of over-reacting to terrorism.
Terrorist attacks are extraordinarily rare, and need to be treated that way. Until common sense awakens from its post-9/11 slumber, this regulation may actually do some good.
Or the terrorists could start shipping grenades via UPS.
If you’re thinking of sending out advertisements for a cockfight through the mail, you should be aware that a new regulation allows the postal service to refuse to deliver it.
The same rules also covers advertisements for a “knife, a gaff, or any other sharp instrument attached, or designed or intended to be attached, to the leg of a bird for use in an animal fighting venture.”
Animal fighting is barbaric. And it is illegal in most places. The underground nature of animal fighting makes one wonder how many cockfight promoters actually advertise their events by putting fliers in the mail. Wouldn’t that just make it easier to get arrested?
If so, the USPS should be encouraging such advertising, not banning it. Driving animal fights further underground only makes them harder to eradicate.
Antitrust laws are intended to prevent anti-competitive practices. And if anything qualifies as an anti-competitive practice, fining and jailing people for competing with you certainly would. Which brings us to this little tidbit from the Code of Federal Regulations:
It is generally unlawful under the Private Express Statutes for any person other than the Postal Service in any manner to send or carry a letter on a post route or in any manner to cause or assist such activity. Violation may result in injunction, fine or imprisonment or both and payment of postage lost as a result of the illegal activity.
I expect the Department of Justice to launch an investigation post-haste.
Your host Richard Morrison welcomes back returning guest co-host Jeremy Lott and distinguished special guest David Mark of the Politico for Episode 55 of the LibertyWeek podcast. We start with reports of unrest over health care in the provinces, the U.S. Postal Service’s death spiral and the globe trotting ways of members of Congress. We continue with some sadly familiar antitrust murmurs regarding Apple and Google, a classic union corruption scandal out of New York City and some inspiring and heroic Paralympic News.
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