Oh yeah, the post office was a huge success after they used the power of government to force out their early competition, has used eminent domain to obtain its properties and has been subsidized in lots of other ways over the years:
Early competitor forced out of business: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Letter_Mail_Company
A transcription of a 1996 plea to privatize the post office, complete with a graph that shows the billion in subsidies the government gave the post office in the 1980's: http://www.cato.org/testimony/ct-eh043096.html
I am sorry but if this is your idea of a "great success", a company that cannot compete and needs billion in subsidies to survive, what is your idea of a failure?
In case you don't believe me about the post office using the power of eminent domain (forcing people to sell or outright stealing peoples property), maybe you would believe the supreme courts ruling in POSTAL SERVICE V. FLAMINGO INDUSTRIES:
Under the PRA, the Postal Service retains its monopoly over the carriage of letters, and the power to authorize postal inspectors to search for, seize, and forfeit mail matter transported in violation of the monopoly. See §§601—606. It also retains the obligation to provide universal service to all parts of the country. §§101, 403. The Postal Service has the power of eminent domain, the power to make postal regulations, and the power to enter international postal agreements subject to the supervision of the Secretary of State.
no subject
Early competitor forced out of business:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Letter_Mail_Company
A transcription of a 1996 plea to privatize the post office, complete with a graph that shows the billion in subsidies the government gave the post office in the 1980's:
http://www.cato.org/testimony/ct-eh043096.html
I am sorry but if this is your idea of a "great success", a company that cannot compete and needs billion in subsidies to survive, what is your idea of a failure?
In case you don't believe me about the post office using the power of eminent domain (forcing people to sell or outright stealing peoples property), maybe you would believe the supreme courts ruling in POSTAL SERVICE V. FLAMINGO INDUSTRIES:
Under the PRA, the Postal Service retains its monopoly over the carriage of letters, and the power to authorize postal inspectors to search for, seize, and forfeit mail matter transported in violation of the monopoly. See §§601—606. It also retains the obligation to provide universal service to all parts of the country. §§101, 403. The Postal Service has the power of eminent domain, the power to make postal regulations, and the power to enter international postal agreements subject to the supervision of the Secretary of State.