Idris wrote:To quote from an article in The Guardian:
After reading the quoted passage, I was ready to go on my spiel about how objectivity in journalism has gone the way of the dinosaurs and the dodo bird. However, the link leads to what is correctly identified as an
opinion piece.
I am aware of only one other vacancy in the history of the U.S. Supreme Court that opened up closer to a presidential election. (Justice Sherman Minton announced his retirement on 7 September 1956 and retired on 15 October 1956. President Eisenhower made a recess appointment of Justice William J. Brennan, Jr, and Brennan was confirmed the following year.)
The rush to confirm a new justice boils down to balance of power; nothing more than that. Would the confirmation process be in full swing if a Democrat was in the White House? Given the sorry state of American politics today, I wouldn't doubt it.
I am not going to get into a protracted discussion of a political nature, for three reasons:
1. Discussion of political matters in mixed company almost universally brings out the worst in people.
2. Both camps have good and valid points about the pros and cons of voting by mail (however, I have received too many unsolicited applications for mail-in ballots, as well as much undesired political propaganda, in the mail as of late).
3. I have my own opinions on matters political, and they are set in stone. See also reason one.
I will, however, comment on the state of USPS. Maybe five months ago, mail delivery in my area went completely to hell. I had many packages, both sent and received, get horribly misrouted. One package that was going to a recipient who lived less than 20 miles away from me took two weeks to be delivered (had I known that would have happened, I would have delivered the item myself). It got so bad I stopped requesting my medications. My complaints to USPS were answered with the same canned cop-out to the effect of, "please be patient; we're in the midst of a pandemic and resultant personnel shortages."
In the last month or so, things have vastly improved. Packages have arrived ahead of estimated dates. I had a package leave England, clear U.S. Customs, and arrive on my doorstep in a week. Sure, "two days, two pounds, $2.90" is a quaint relic of the past, but operational costs are going up. At least service has returned to a good standard (and the ladies at the Post Office nearest me are absolutely wonderful!).
The USPS is an institution, and many people would be upset if it went away. Though I can see it changing radically over the next ten years or so, I
highly doubt it will cease operations altogether.
