8.3M views · May 11, 2020 · 18:15 · 3 HN recommenders · 5 mentions · discussed 2020–2021
A Last Week Tonight segment on the US Postal Service's financial troubles. John Oliver explains why it matters, what pushed it to this point, and what viewers can do.
Why Hacker News points people here: HN points to it as an accessible explanation of why the USPS struggles financially, especially in threads on mail delays and international rates.
“Jon Oliver does an excellent job of explaining”HN comment, 2020
“John Oliver did an interesting video on this”
Explains how defunding left the USPS with less money
John Oliver did an interesting video on this: this video TL;DR: Deliberate government action to defund them has resulted in them having way less money than you would expect.
“love him or hate him John Oliver boils this down to”
John Oliver segment boiling down USPS finances and politics
It has for many years: link Discussed here: link And love him or hate him John Oliver boils this down to: this video
“Jon Oliver does an excellent job of explaining”
Explains why the USPS cannot turn a profit
For those wondering why the USPS cannot turn a profit, Jon Oliver does an excellent job of explaining: this video
“Learned about it in a John Oliver's video [1]”
Explains USPS pricing law and international mail rates
> why can't I choose a shipping option that costs something less than 50 cents to anywhere in the US? Not an American, but I believe there's a 2006 bill that prevents USPS from selling services below the cost. Learned about it in a John Oliver's video [1], mentioned somewhere else in this thread. I'd guess that Chinese epackets are part of an international agreement, so they are exempt. > The system was illogical. It would be illogical if USPS had flexible costs. But the USPS costs are more or less fixed. The mailman will go his round every day and will get his salary, even if he has little to deliver. So, you may as well have him deliver Chinese epackets, for whatever price the Chinese are willing to pay. And that's a good deal for the public. Otherwise the $1 trinket for China would be $6 (if Chinese had to pay full shipping), or $10 (if bought through a US-based reseller). [1] this video
“John Oliver had an episode about this”
John Oliver episode on rules that push USPS into losses
No other company has to do this. They created this rule specifically to make the USPS run at a loss so they would have a reason to gut it. And that's what they're doing now, gutting it. John Oliver had an episode about this: this video
