s many readers know, we would rather jump into a live volcano than discuss
politics here. If it’s not science it’s not important. But little-noticed
changes caused by political fighting can have big implications for everyone.
I’m referring to the government shutdowns, which are the latest tactic of politicians whose reason for being is threatened by the concept of a national border.
Many conservatives and libertarians are amused by the Democrats’ repeated attempts to shut down the government. US President Trump, they’re saying, in another brilliant 4D chess maneuver, has tricked them into not just doing DOGE, but clamoring for it.
Lost items are not always the carrier’s fault. Sometimes the sender forgets to lick the envelope
For now we may be enjoying our newfound freedom to tear tags off mattresses without fear of the mattress cops, but it is virtually certain that ICE, along with the concept of national borders, will be abolished if a Democrat ever takes the White House. It’s a good example how everything the government does has unwanted effects on people’s ordinary lives—in this case how and whether they can purchase household goods.
During the last shutdown, the US Mail screeched to a halt. Winter storm Fern slowed them even more. Bills now arrived well after their due date, while UPS drivers courageously braved the cold and snow, more than an inch deep in some areas, to deliver their packages on time. Amazon pivoted to United Parcel Service (UPS), which resulted in a tremendous increase in speed for customers but almost overwhelmed the drivers.
But UPS was losing money. So now, just when government shutdowns have become an instrument of policy, they’re cutting residential deliveries and dissociating from Amazon. They’re cutting 30,000 jobs this year and closing 24 facilities, refocusing on B2B and healthcare and reducing their dependence on Amazon. That’s in addition to the 48,000 jobs cut last year. They make it sound like ordinary cost-cutting, but they may be in trouble and could very well eliminate residential delivery altogether. It’s a standard thing: Company A undercuts Company B on price, driving it out of the market. Then the quality of Company A, having no competition, turns to crap. In this case A was the US Mail and B was UPS, but it happens everywhere.
When UPS loses a package, you can file a claim. If the item is important, like life-saving medication, they’ll look for it frantically, even going house to house asking if you received it by mistake. Though most mailmen try hard—I never get letters covered with dried mud anymore—nobody with half a brain would send their medication through the US Mail. Part of the problem is that online vendors no longer give customers a choice in how it’s shipped. If you know that one shipper steals, damages, eats, or loses packages, you’re out of luck.
What will we do when Hurricane Daffodil hits? Tropical Storm Pussy Willow? It’s unlikely that FedEx can fill the gap. Their parcels are always covered with the driver’s cologne, which they put on the box to help you figure out where they left it. It also acts as an anti-theft measure because anyone who touches the box will smell horrible for hours. Even so, the landscape has shifted in favor of brick-and-mortar stores.
Where I used to live, everything was brick-and-mortar. We had a chainsaw store down the street, a place that sold cinder blocks a mile away, and two strip joints close by. What more could one want? Sadly, as the remaining brick-and-mortar stores cut inventory to stay afloat, we’re now more dependent on mail-order than ever.
However will we buy our round tuits, our edible glitter, our yodeling pickles, our AR-coated quartz wedge achromatic depolarizers, and our square rubber grommets? These things are useful to everyone, and they all require a carrier. It’s a business opportunity for somebody, and it’s also a warning to vendors not to get dependent on the government.
feb 05 2026, 7:11 am
