MetaFilter posts tagged with USConstitution

The Future of Snail Mail

Secret Life of Gravy — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 07:41:41 -0800

Shrinking the United States Postal Service: What happens to Netflix? The second largest employer in the United States, the USPS ran up a $2.8 billion budget deficit last year, even after such cost-cutting moves such as quietly removing foreign mail from registered mail status. The Chairman of the Postal Regulatory Commission believes cutting service to 5 days a week could save $1.9 billion, with Tuesday-- the lightest day-- being the most likely choice. Change is nothing new to the USPS, but up until now it has been a history of expansion: In article one of the US Constitution, congress was given the power "To establish Post Offices and post Roads." 1775. Benjamin Franklin became the first Postmaster General. 1831. The Post Office had more post masters than soldiers. 1863. Delivery expands beyond post office to post office. City dwellers may now receive mail at their homes. 1869. Railway Mail Service is inaugurated and by 1930 mail is carried by more than 10,000 trains. 1896. Rural Free Delivery becomes an official service, uniting the entire country. 1912. Parcel Post is authorized, allowing for delivery of packages of more than 4 pounds. 1971. President Nixon signs the bill making the the Post Office Department into the Postal Service, which among other things removes the Post Master General from the line of Presidential Succession, and turns the USPS into an independent agency like the CIA and NASA.

CaliFilter

magullo — Thu, 18 Nov 2004 06:07:44 -0800

AmendforArnold&Jen
Founded by a libertarian-turned RINO and a member of the Green Party

Founder's Chic

grrarrgh00 — Thu, 07 Aug 2003 21:20:04 -0800

Historian H.W. Brands argues in this month's Atlantic that we over-venerate our Founding Fathers. John Adams and co., he surmises, were no wiser or more virtuous than our current crop of politicians, but their numerous flaws have been rendered invisible through the rosy glasses of time. What today's politicians could learn from their predecessors, he says, is bravado, the courage to take risks. Why not call a Constitutional Convention and rewrite the rules every so often?, he asks.

pjgulliver — Tue, 05 Nov 2002 08:35:55 -0800

A New Constitutional Convention? Well, as we are all aware it's election days. Time to reshape our government as we see fit. And we have an remarkably robust blueprint for our government, one that has stood the test of time. But is it time to change? What would your suggestions be if you were present at a new creation? I know these links have a lefty feel, there what I could find. But I'm interested in reasoned perspectives from left and right. Is this process necessary or desirable? What Would You Do?

Mack Twain — Sun, 14 Jul 2002 11:51:46 -0800

Americans against World Empire. This Conservative/Libertarian coalition presents analysis, articles, links, opinions and rants from every corner of the political spectrum. ""Perpetual war serves a number of purposes.....It is under wartime conditions that the U.S. state will, at least initially, face the least resistance as it finishes the......process of gutting the Bill of Rights and voiding inconvenient parts of the U.S. Constitution......It is under wartime conditons that all opponents of U.S. policies anywhere in the world, including within the U.S. itself, can be most easily labled 'terrorist.'" This statement would have come from a conservative in 1940. Today it is from the Left. (Alternative Press Review, spring 2002).

jack-o — Sun, 20 Jan 2002 01:55:36 -0800

President Bush seems to think that abortion is unconstitutional. Does anyone smell hypocrisy here? I would suggest that he examine the constitutionality of his own actions before throwing stones.

pardonyou? — Thu, 13 Dec 2001 12:03:27 -0800

"What is your name? Do you have a claim against me? Does anyone have a claim against me? I demand, or request, that the order of the court be released to me immediately." (NYT link) 12 Michigan (natch) nutcases shout the same four questions over and over during their fraud, conspiracy, and tax evasion trial. Seems they believe the four questions shield them from government authority. They also believe the U.S. Constitution was invalidated when FDR took us off the gold standard, and the federal government has no power over them. I wonder if they'll come to feel differently after a few years in the federal penitentiary?

Kevs — Mon, 18 Jun 2001 17:14:00 -0800

Which type of Constitution is better? A MeFi thread earlier discussed the room for error which the US Consitution leaves. So, here's the question: Do we like the very specific but restrictive 136 Article Mexican version or the brief but dynamic 7 Article plus Amendments American-style versions?

delfuego — Wed, 29 Mar 2000 17:47:23 -0800

Yay! The flag burning amendment is dead , at least for another year. What offends me most is: why did 63 Senators vote for this? Second most: do these people actually believe themselves when they preach that people have fought and died for the flag? I *hope* that no soldiers have fought for the flag, per se; I would hope that our military fights for the ideals of which the flag is a nice, abstract representation.
I've put up a short page with links to the official Congressional Record transcripts of the debate, for those who are interested. (It gives me reading for my plane ride tomorrow, if I can avoid the calling of my Sims family.)