Sir Tainley
@sir-tainley.bsky.social
Lover. Thinker. Worker. Cynic.
(Toronto)
Banner picture credit to Dan Seljak. (@anotherglassbox.bsky.social)
(Toronto)
Banner picture credit to Dan Seljak. (@anotherglassbox.bsky.social)
The phenomenon of "nouveau riche" gives you the opposite. It is entirely possible to become very wealthy, but not be admitted by the culture of the powerful.
Nobility has a very distinct culture in societies where it is powerful, and it doesn't like sharing.
Nobility has a very distinct culture in societies where it is powerful, and it doesn't like sharing.
December 20, 2024 at 7:48 PM
The phenomenon of "nouveau riche" gives you the opposite. It is entirely possible to become very wealthy, but not be admitted by the culture of the powerful.
Nobility has a very distinct culture in societies where it is powerful, and it doesn't like sharing.
Nobility has a very distinct culture in societies where it is powerful, and it doesn't like sharing.
You haven't mentioned purolator or fedex until this post. You said plenty of towns still rely on Canada Post to deliver essential mail, not packages. Letters between friends, family members, notices to hotels booking reservations...
Towns such as...? I want to see where e-mail and faxes aren't.
Towns such as...? I want to see where e-mail and faxes aren't.
December 20, 2024 at 7:40 PM
You haven't mentioned purolator or fedex until this post. You said plenty of towns still rely on Canada Post to deliver essential mail, not packages. Letters between friends, family members, notices to hotels booking reservations...
Towns such as...? I want to see where e-mail and faxes aren't.
Towns such as...? I want to see where e-mail and faxes aren't.
So the initial anecdote of "a piece of mail went missing" is... a lie? I don't think that's the case.
I think a fractional amount of mail gets misdelivered/lost/whatever.
I think a fractional amount of mail gets misdelivered/lost/whatever.
December 20, 2024 at 7:37 PM
So the initial anecdote of "a piece of mail went missing" is... a lie? I don't think that's the case.
I think a fractional amount of mail gets misdelivered/lost/whatever.
I think a fractional amount of mail gets misdelivered/lost/whatever.
But are you going to mandate the banks provide a margin-tight retail operation they don't want to against a public service doing the same?
December 20, 2024 at 6:25 PM
But are you going to mandate the banks provide a margin-tight retail operation they don't want to against a public service doing the same?
Okay. But I haven't said there's no need for it. All I've observed is it's not doing as much as it used to, so you would expect the total volume of mistakes to go down.
December 20, 2024 at 6:23 PM
Okay. But I haven't said there's no need for it. All I've observed is it's not doing as much as it used to, so you would expect the total volume of mistakes to go down.
What's wrong with the licensees benefitting, if they are purchasing the license through a regular auction? I thought it was agreed running Canada Post at a profit isn't important?
So why the argument for holding on tightly to the profitable aspects of it?
So why the argument for holding on tightly to the profitable aspects of it?
December 20, 2024 at 5:36 PM
What's wrong with the licensees benefitting, if they are purchasing the license through a regular auction? I thought it was agreed running Canada Post at a profit isn't important?
So why the argument for holding on tightly to the profitable aspects of it?
So why the argument for holding on tightly to the profitable aspects of it?
Okay, well, if you're going to rely on strawmanning my point: then back to my question, what's an example of a rural town where people rely on letter post (so not parcel delivery) for essential communication? As opposed to e-mail or faxes.
You've said there are plenty.
You've said there are plenty.
December 20, 2024 at 5:34 PM
Okay, well, if you're going to rely on strawmanning my point: then back to my question, what's an example of a rural town where people rely on letter post (so not parcel delivery) for essential communication? As opposed to e-mail or faxes.
You've said there are plenty.
You've said there are plenty.
Or: take a longer frame of reference? Is there someone with the charisma to bring the liberals back to relevance? Or are the Liberals going to go the way of the Progressive Conservatives, and the NDP, as opposition to the Conservatives, can form the government after Poilievre?
December 20, 2024 at 5:24 PM
Or: take a longer frame of reference? Is there someone with the charisma to bring the liberals back to relevance? Or are the Liberals going to go the way of the Progressive Conservatives, and the NDP, as opposition to the Conservatives, can form the government after Poilievre?
I bet it's because drivers think it's a kid.
December 20, 2024 at 5:22 PM
I bet it's because drivers think it's a kid.
I haven't changed anything: the vast bulk of what kept Canada post busy--in living memory--was posted mail. We don't do that anymore.
If the vital part of what Canada post is, is parcel delivery in rural communities, then we should be upfront about that, not coy.
If the vital part of what Canada post is, is parcel delivery in rural communities, then we should be upfront about that, not coy.
December 20, 2024 at 5:20 PM
I haven't changed anything: the vast bulk of what kept Canada post busy--in living memory--was posted mail. We don't do that anymore.
If the vital part of what Canada post is, is parcel delivery in rural communities, then we should be upfront about that, not coy.
If the vital part of what Canada post is, is parcel delivery in rural communities, then we should be upfront about that, not coy.
Also: plutocracy you can buy your way into, oligarchy you are born into. This is a plutocracy.
December 20, 2024 at 5:04 PM
Also: plutocracy you can buy your way into, oligarchy you are born into. This is a plutocracy.
I thought we were all agreeing that the profit wasn't important, and the operation should be subsidized? We should expect it to cost money.
You seem to be saying is the profit is important, and we shouldn't subsidize the money-losing parts too much?
You seem to be saying is the profit is important, and we shouldn't subsidize the money-losing parts too much?
December 20, 2024 at 4:53 PM
I thought we were all agreeing that the profit wasn't important, and the operation should be subsidized? We should expect it to cost money.
You seem to be saying is the profit is important, and we shouldn't subsidize the money-losing parts too much?
You seem to be saying is the profit is important, and we shouldn't subsidize the money-losing parts too much?
So, if Canada post offers retail banking, would we let the banks roll up their retail operations?
My understanding is those are not profit centers for the bank, and are largely run because the government requires them to be run.
My understanding is those are not profit centers for the bank, and are largely run because the government requires them to be run.
December 20, 2024 at 4:50 PM
So, if Canada post offers retail banking, would we let the banks roll up their retail operations?
My understanding is those are not profit centers for the bank, and are largely run because the government requires them to be run.
My understanding is those are not profit centers for the bank, and are largely run because the government requires them to be run.
If there's plenty of places, can you name some of them? Where people still rely on letter post for essential communication?
December 20, 2024 at 4:47 PM
If there's plenty of places, can you name some of them? Where people still rely on letter post for essential communication?
If we don't need it to generate a profit... why are we running any of it to generate a profit?
Why not auction a five year license to run the post and parcel delivery in each of the 10 biggest urban areas in Canada?
Why not auction a five year license to run the post and parcel delivery in each of the 10 biggest urban areas in Canada?
December 20, 2024 at 4:44 PM
If we don't need it to generate a profit... why are we running any of it to generate a profit?
Why not auction a five year license to run the post and parcel delivery in each of the 10 biggest urban areas in Canada?
Why not auction a five year license to run the post and parcel delivery in each of the 10 biggest urban areas in Canada?
I haven't said they don't provide a needed service. I've said the total volume of everything they're handling is significantly reduced from what it was in living memory.
Is the beating heart of what Canada Post provides the essential service of package delivery in rural areas?
Is the beating heart of what Canada Post provides the essential service of package delivery in rural areas?
December 20, 2024 at 4:42 PM
I haven't said they don't provide a needed service. I've said the total volume of everything they're handling is significantly reduced from what it was in living memory.
Is the beating heart of what Canada Post provides the essential service of package delivery in rural areas?
Is the beating heart of what Canada Post provides the essential service of package delivery in rural areas?
Clearly: I picked the wrong term.
There is a core 'operation' that keeps them 'busy.' There is a 'busy-ness' to Canada post: letters and parcels received and distributed, but a less than there was 35 years ago.
There is a core 'operation' that keeps them 'busy.' There is a 'busy-ness' to Canada post: letters and parcels received and distributed, but a less than there was 35 years ago.
December 20, 2024 at 4:25 PM
Clearly: I picked the wrong term.
There is a core 'operation' that keeps them 'busy.' There is a 'busy-ness' to Canada post: letters and parcels received and distributed, but a less than there was 35 years ago.
There is a core 'operation' that keeps them 'busy.' There is a 'busy-ness' to Canada post: letters and parcels received and distributed, but a less than there was 35 years ago.
I didn't mean business as a profit centre, I meant "what keeps it busy." It is a very busy little system: but it's handling much less post than ever, because technology has provided better alternatives.
How many posted letters do you think TV shows received from viewers about programming in 2024?
How many posted letters do you think TV shows received from viewers about programming in 2024?
December 20, 2024 at 4:23 PM
I didn't mean business as a profit centre, I meant "what keeps it busy." It is a very busy little system: but it's handling much less post than ever, because technology has provided better alternatives.
How many posted letters do you think TV shows received from viewers about programming in 2024?
How many posted letters do you think TV shows received from viewers about programming in 2024?
So, some elements of Canada Post make money. If we're saying "we don't need the profit in this system; running it at cost justifies itself" what should we do with those profitable parts? Slash prices?
Why not license elements of it to the private sector?
Why not license elements of it to the private sector?
December 20, 2024 at 4:20 PM
So, some elements of Canada Post make money. If we're saying "we don't need the profit in this system; running it at cost justifies itself" what should we do with those profitable parts? Slash prices?
Why not license elements of it to the private sector?
Why not license elements of it to the private sector?
Libraries have the interesting feature of being very worthy charitable institutions. I think if public funding were to disappear, philanthropy would support (some of) them.
But the rural libraries would disappear the most.
But the rural libraries would disappear the most.
December 20, 2024 at 4:16 PM
Libraries have the interesting feature of being very worthy charitable institutions. I think if public funding were to disappear, philanthropy would support (some of) them.
But the rural libraries would disappear the most.
But the rural libraries would disappear the most.