As the U.S. Postal Service faces financial catastrophe, John Oliver discusses why the service is so important, what brought it to this point, and what we can do to help.
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As a former mail carrier, I can tell you that you get to know the dogs on your route. The postmaster and the dogs he helped bury were likely good buddies.
Walking a mile in another man's shoes. Good point.
I read that as " the dogs and the bodies that he likley buried ". I need to stop reading these before my coffee and glasses
@Birdman PB Good question. Call your local post office and speak to the postmaster about it, and/or make a report to the USPS Office of Investigations. You can file a report here: www.uspsoig.gov/hotline
@@dr.z1657 I appreciate you. Not my question but it made me happy to see how helpful youre being, and I also wouldn't know what to do in the situation.
@@dr.z1657 Stop being nice and helpful. This is the internet, you are supposed to be a mean spirited insulting troll :O
I feel like John Oliver is getting more comfortable with doing this segment with no audience. Really crushing it, can't even tell anymore.
He has also got KZhead vs Tiktok treand started in India .
Emily Ibarra it’s amazing how good it is. Take a look at how bad SNL is without all the props and laughs tracks
When they first started doing shows without an audience, everyone was still in the habit of pausing to allow for the audience's laughter, but without the audience it was just uncomfortable silence
I noticed that too with this one
Emily Ibarra john Oliver did a podcast for a few years he is used to not playing to an audience. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bugle
John, I recently became a member of the Postal Service as is my father who has been working there for 22 years. This video slightly worried me when clicking on it because I was afraid of realizing my workplace was corrupt when in actuality it’s the opposite. Speaking from experience, it is a fantastic place to work, and I truly hope I can get some time there to let my dad retire because he has truly worked his tail off for over two decades. Thank you for bringing this to light and I genuinely hope this can garner some kind of change
I had to send a package to the UK and ups wanted over two hundred bucks to send like two t shirts. Usps was like not even fourty bucks I think twenty or thirty I always try to use them now!
Sounds like you've got a great office. Too many of them are terrible. Postal management is a joke.
"Real businesses can't lose billions every year." Sample of US government bailouts to "real" businesses: Bear Sterns: $29 billion Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac: $200 billion General Motors: $50 billion American Express: $3 billion Citigroup: $45 billion AIG: $67 billion
You could add to your sample of "Real businesses" that lose $'s: Several tRump ventures, like Casinos. Just an example, I'm sure he had more go belly-up. Despite the fact that all the seed $$ came from his Daddy. "Good Businessman" indeed!
There’s a another strong response, the USPS is a service, similar to the military, yet we don’t say the military loses $750 billion a year
@@TheNinthGenerarion we really should tho It might finally put things in perspective for some people
@@dharanishakthivel7263 it would be interesting to see
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac are government-created and sponsored institutions. And btw they received $300B not $200B which is more than the 5 following banks combined.
When I was a kid we'd ordered a bunch of chickens through the mail. We got a call at 11pm one night from the post office saying, "Can you please come get your birds? They're very loud."
We ordered chicks through the mail a few times. The first time, our mailman thought it was hilarious and brought them to our door to say so. The following times he brought them to our door just to make sure we noticed them quickly. It was very sweet.
It would’ve been even funnier if you DIDNT order a bunch of chickens! We’ve ordered chickens through the mail before and the company we ordered them from accidentally sent 13 of them to Minnesota, we live in Florida! So they had to send a second batch to us(they made it) but whoever it was accidentally sent two batches of 13 to us!! We got the second ones a week later 😂🤣 We ended up with over 20 chickens.
Lol, cool.
But why?!? Lol why are live chickens being ordered through the mail. I need to know
@@Nxt6 so that you can raise chickens. I grew up on a farm, and we ordered at least 50 baby chicks a year to raise for meat. (We would split the meat with a few neighbors) The hatchery was not close enough to go to, so mail becomes the best way to get them. We did find out that we could get them cheaper if we bought from the local farm store (they bought in bulk from the hatchery, so they paid less for postage). But if we wanted specialty birds, we ordered them direct. I will add that this video is a bit misleading. At least when I was a kid, you couldn't just order 1 bird. I think the minimum was a dozen. I could be wrong on that, though. Perhaps the fog of time has me mis-remembering.
The best argument for the USPS was by Jon Stewart on the Daily Show "They come to your house, pick up any piece of crap you feel like writing and deliver it to Wyoming in two days by air for forty cents"
They also take pictures of everybody's letter sized mail, (the claim being so that people can know what is coming to them in the mail and when it will be there, via email). Do those photos make their way to the NSA? 'National "Spies" ' is more like it. Or so it currently seems. Surely postage would be cheaper if the USPS did not take and store pictures of everybody's letter sized mail. We are paying the Government to spy on it's own people. When will 'We The People' wake up? The US Government is supposed to be working for 'We The People', not against 'We The People'. Even the NSA is paid for with taxpayer's money.
Lets say Trump or one of the Republican donors private mail company and someone find out that company has been filtering out Democrat voter or Democratic state census requests and absentee ballots the last 20 years. And for some unknown reason to the average persons frustration, Republicans and an unchecked corrupt oligarchy has controlled the country for the last 20 years. If you have driven on local roads rural areas you know the postal network driving these roads every day anyways is the most efficient way to get deliveries there for smaller items.
@@charlesbrightman4237 you sound like you have brain damage. None of what you said made any sense. Maybe chill with the nutjob conspiracy theories?
@@xlockedbmw Visit a local Post Office and/or check it out on their web site. You can sign up for a 'FREE' service that the Post Office will send you via email pictures of what is coming in your mail and when it will be there. How do you believe they obtained those photos to send people? And then there is the Patriot Act which allows government agencies to share information between them. Put 2 and 2 together. Think like a corrupt politician or human.
@@charlesbrightman4237 Are you dumb or are you dumb. You do realize that it does not even have to be your actual name or address on the mail at all, the Post Office does not even have your personal info. Why bother to take pictures of mail if the NSA can just tap your phone, computer, bank account, and car. There is so much more information about you on the Internet than in the mail. You are really not that important, no one would even care. The NSA or the postal service does not care about you at all. Get a life and get out of your basement
"The Post Office should raise the price of a package.." Yeah except for the literal law saying they can't!
Nadica 🍀
@@nadicapetrovic3232 Bodhi 🍲
yeah the law is just a piece of paper, so...
Pfffffft you don’t think the LAW is something he cares about, do you?
@@pedropradacarciofi2517 this is suprinsingly Naive if you htink gonig private is an upgrade for this type of service.
Thank you, John Oliver for accurately explaining the struggles of the Postal Service.
"accurately" lmao
You failed to point out, John, that huge reason the guy in the White House wants the USPS to fail ASAP is so voting cannot be done thru the mail. 😡
Bcuz he knows if mail in voting is easier the Rs will literally never win again.
Why didn't the Democrats change it when they held the office from 2009 to 2017. It's not just Republicans fault this is a mess. It was a bipartisan bill, everyone messed this up. I doubt Trump will fix this or the next party to take over they'll just allow the Post office to expand what they do instead of just repealing the bill.
I mean yes, but it’s only a stipulation. He couldn’t prove it (unfortunately).
Really its because of voting. Cause if anything they could make us all vote online. Then when that happens what's your next season to why we dont need usps
That's all true, but I can easily guess that 20 minutes after he made that pronouncement, he got a call from a dozen or more GOP campaign managers who told him the same thing. The majority of Republican voters in their district or state, vote by mail . Maybe they are elderly, maybe they are rural or both and if vote-by mail is removed so is their tenuous grasp to power.
The fact that Trump and his cronies will bail out cruise lines but not help the post office is infuriating. The founding fathers must be rolling in their graves.
Ben Franklin, was a founding father & our first post master general. Not keeping our United States Post Office is un-American. 📫
The "founding fathers" and their successors did all sorts of weird shit, and this might very well be one of the schemes they'd come up with. Just look into the history of banking and currency in the US ...
They're doing axel jumps at this point.
I still can't believe the cruises will partially start in Aug again🤦🏻♂️🤦🏻♂️ www.google.com/amp/s/amp.usatoday.com/amp/3077060001
exactly. every american utilizes the post office. i've never set foot on a damn cruise ship.
In France, postal services are banks, mobile contractors, online shops for office stuff, and now they even have offers for gardening/DIY (which isn't then), driver's manual lessons, and even care for the elderly. Can't wait to see their next idea
"If I live in the boondocks, I can get email." This brought to you by the same out of touch people who coined the gem: "You wouldn't download a car."
To which I say, yeah I would
I am 26. I have worked with the postal service for four years in Michigan. I was worked overtime for basically three years until I went salary (full time) because our office was overwhelmed and almost always understaffed. We work hard, but we rarely get the things we need. Our vehicles are almost 30 years old. I am younger than the truck I drive. We finally got our first face masks for all coworkers on Saturday. A month and a half after our state's Stay at Home Order went into place. Please support the USPS and your mail carriers.
I read this as my own story, practically. Also 26. Went regular after 3.5years as a sub. Now a RC in SC, but I drive a POV. We got face masks two weeks ago and that god awful cooler for "washing our hands". Told we can't have two people in a case even though I'm training a new sub who has to ride with me to learn the route. SMH.
My dad is a postal worker. The same thing with him. The trucks are old, they literally got their masks not too long ago, and they are always understaffed. It’s kinda upsetting to think my dad could lose his job considering this is the same one he’s had for 10+ years. He doesn’t have anywhere else to go.
@@katiefrechette5290 they have outsourced our mail carriers to minorities that don't even look like couriers - i don't know if this is the Post Office cutting costs, laying off people or what...doesn't look good.
@@wrxzboost what do you mean by "outsourced to minorities"?
I went to pick up my held mail at the distribution center last week, and my postal worker was wearing what appeared to be an oven mitt strapped to his face.
Last year, I had a car wreck that left me bed bound for a few months. I am a video editor, so I had a friend mail me some harddrives so I could continue working, except he put the wrong address. I didn't realize until the package didn't arrive when it was supposed to. But the USPS assigned someone at my local branch specifically to track the package down and deliver it to me. I would have lost so much work if they hadn't found it. Bless the USPS!!
Everything in the USA is awful including the USPS!
The change in his voice when he lifted that rock was hilarious. Ngl I thought it was the size of a brick, maybe 🤣
The thing I love about John is that if he sees something adorable, odd or funny he buys it.
I am a nurse and recently cared for a patient whose mail carrier noticed he was not collecting his mail, and called police for a welfare check. The mail carrier saved the man's life. He had fallen and lain unresponsive for a full week and had full-thickness wounds that he is healing from now.
really great point, thanks!
That is impossible you would die after 3 or 4 days of not drinking water and a few days later of starvation.
@@stillaliveplus1forme I'd ask yourself this question: Which one of us has professional credentials and is actually caring for the patient, and which one of us is arguing on the Internet about it?
veevee306 ask yourself this question. Would a real nurse not know that without water no patient could possibly survive a FULL week? And the key word there is also patient. If this person is elderly and or sick or injured then they would more than likely survive even less time without water. It is impossible, the kidneys fail.
@@stillaliveplus1forme It's possible they meant he fell and was unresponsive while in the hospital, and this nurse was the one caring for him (they can send water and nutrients to the body in other ways when people are unconscious).
They call us “essential workers” because “sacrificial workers” would be too honest.
A lot of us in essential industries, not just the post office, have made this joke. So many essential workers have been harassed, insulted, and assaulted, and our government acts like we're all disposable in the name of profit.
@Blaire Tyrant kzhead.info/sun/ktJudZuenHx-qmg/bejne.html
@Blaire Tyrant yes because having a deep pay and hours cut to the point where I'm making less than friends on unemployment and being on the verge of losing my health insurance during a pandemic and getting verbally assaulted every day is just dandy because I have a job I'm stuck in and can't afford to quit in fear of going hungry. Yeah, I should definitely listen to some dbag on the internet who thinks this is no worse than the flu even though it's killed a years worth of flu deaths in three months. Just shut up and lick the corporate boot amrite?
Even us grocery store workers make that joke
I have much respect for you men and women going out... Risking you and your families health so I can provide food and essentials for my family. The fact that any "essential worker" has to deal with verbal and physical abuse is disturbing and flat out disgusting to me. I don't care if you are working at a grocery store... Delivering or preparing our food or a nurse or doctor saving lives at a hospital... They deserve our respect and gratitude for risking they're health and safety so we can have a more comfortable life during this pandemic. Anyone that is going out as a essential worker should be making more then their regular pay and their health care taken care of. None of us are expendable and shouldn't be treated as such.
Preach it! As a 25 year and running veteran of the USPS, I really appreciate this. Greener under my wiener! Oh man! Comedy gold!
John looked genuinely delighted when he pulled out that rock. That is a level of glee everyone should possess when talking about some obscure thing we love.
The USPS is one of the largest employers of veterans. We still need our postal service.
The USPS is THEE #1 EMPLOYER OF VETERANS! I know, because I am one! Fully fund the USPS!
It is still one of the most important services and better postal services in the world.
Oh, but it seems that Congress and our (questionable) President Trump think? that everyone can print their mail. Further, they don't give a rat's ass if it (USPS) goes under. Trump thinks our dollars should go to a space force he just started for weaponizing space against the alien invaders that I am sure are just waiting to come and take over. I think they already did. Or should. USPS deserves to be funded because it is a basic right to get your mail and it is something our founding fathers and mothers started that should continue. It started with the Pony Express. We shouldn't let it end because of idiots in government are so damn selfish and short-sighted. True, it has its limitations, like lousy customer service if your package gets delivered to the wrong person. Try following THAT up with USPS and see how that doesn't go. I contact the vendor who sent the package and get a refund from THEM. BUT....with that said....MOST of the time I get my mail. I just wish companies would use UPS or FedEx for product orders and if they insist on having USPS "Mail Innovations" do the last bit....well I am whining now...just get the refund from the vendor.
Fuck Republicans for using usps funding as a bargaining chip. I hope these republican politicians burn in hell.
@@duncan4034 That is one reason we need to save the USPS. Thank you for your service.
Mr. Oliver, you didn't mention the fact that military stationed overseas and ships in the middle of the ocean works in part with USPS. It is a huge logistics to support troops.
is that right?...
@@buddieizreal I am a Logistics Specialist that works for the US Navy stationed overseas here in Japan. USPS is the only way we get stuff from States side, that includes Amazon, Macy's, etc.
@Deacon Frost yeah, thousands of military families live in / around US military Bases around the world. Instead of going though foreign post offices, they move their mail through USPS post offices on their respective base. It’s an essential service for them.
@@wds4097 we don't pay international fee, instead we pay domestic fee because FPO and APO addresses are considered domestic regardless of geographic location. Fun fact.
@@darkmatter32x "I'm not doing it on my own. Japan is bringing PlayStations"
Bless the people who make this show. How is every episode so funny and so intelligent at the same time
The US mail just happens to be how I get most of my medication.
As does my brother, who is a veteran.
that's funny, because US mail happens to be how most of my packages are lost :/ oopsie daisy
@@FastlaneProductions1 stick to FedEx then trump fake account.
My dad's a mail man in rural il and his favorite days are when he gets to deliver the baby chicks
My dad ordered baby ducks thru the mail one day when I was a kid. We lived in a suburb of Chicago (which is not a rural area). Yeah, some people shouldn't be able to do things just because they can, but it was a fun summer with my ducks
That’s super sweet
That comment made my day.
@Rowan Halm As a fellow Illinoisan with family in rural areas, I just ask that you tell your Dad a very big THANK YOU from all the families he serves! Truly, some of my relatives, including my Mom (who isn't rural located but affected all the same), rely on their carrier for life saving medication. People like your Dad are making sure people like my Mom stay alive and have a shot at recovering from crippling health conditions like strokes and heart attacks. So thank you to him and all carriers, for caring and continuing to show up through this crisis. ❤❤❤❤❤
shout out to my childhood postal lady Ms.Shirley, she delivered to my grandpa's building for over 20 years and had the longest, most iconic, bright red acrylic nails i'd ever, and she worked those claws and sorted the shit outta that mail. one summer when I was struggling to learn how to tie my shoes, she even brought me these neon, curly, just 90s AF shoelaces that didnt need to be tied, so I could run around the park without busting my ass. damn, USPS is really a fuckin mess now, but i'm sure there's still a bunch of Ms.Shirleys out there being an MVP in their communities, so...... * *buys stamps* *
If this is true everything about this show and particularly that woman is epic as supernova. Buy stamps....
I bought 3 booklets But will buy more :)
OP still can't tie his shoelaces.
Damn dude.....you reached out and you touched a brotha's heart. Love to you and that Postal Lady
🤗
I feel like kids r gonna watch John Oliver videos in social studies classes in 30 years
I've already had professors show these in class.
That would be great! But why not in just TEN years?
I hope they learn to spell words instead of substituting single letters for them like illiterate youtube posters.
@@juliebraden6911 That's just the way the young 'text'. Some of them can spell. I think.
My dad was a postal carrier for 33 years before he retired. He's delivered beachballs, coconuts (with stamps stuck on), live baby chicks, thousands of ladybugs, messages in bottles, and WHOLE BEEHIVES.
So, I've got to ask: Any live scorpions?
@@rjfaber1991 Live scorpions can only be mailed for medical research or for antivenin production purposes (which I can't believe is a thing I know), but it's possible!
@@heypookeybearitisi Ok. They were obviously the most peculiar item on that list, but I suppose it makes sense if they're used for medical purposes...
Please pass my thanks to your father for his service 💕🙏
Some heroes wear capes. Some wear caps :)
This show is becoming more and more frustrating, because John's out here showing people the issues with the US and even some ways of how it could be fixed, but no one in power will actually listen and do anything about it.
"The greatest country in the world" XD pretentious US
He lacks studio audience. If there were laughs at jokes it wouldn't feel so depressing. Not that these issues aren't awful anyway.
Maybe true. But we as viewers and American citizens (at least some of us) can try to do something. I have the power to go buy some stamps, for instance.
@@TodayUnEarthed Everything? Any proof of this statement? Or just trolling?
Erik Raudr *In the history of the world.
Whenever you order something online, and check the "standard/free shipping" option, chances are it will be actually delivered to you by the Postal Service. Don't look at the large print near the top of the shipping label; (which usually will say "UPS Sure post "). Look at the bottom of the label, where it says "USPS E/Delivery Confirmation".
It’s kind of ironic that the government subsidizes those private delivery companies but won’t do the same with their OWN.
When John first presented those rocks I already had a feeling he bought one to show us Best rocks ever!
Six degrees of how is this about me? This could be the best line ever written.
That was standout! Its 100% true. I will be using this in conversation. 6° of how policy effects Trump is our new foreign and domestic policy statute.
@@emtdevbradley4019 Quick question here: What is the "6 degrees" refering to? Or in other words: I didn't geht that one. Thanks!
@@JonasBunse there's a game, Six Degrees of where you have a starting celebrity and try to name the movies and actors that bridge the gap from celebrity A to celebrity B within six degrees, or, steps or jumps, whatever is easier to understand
@@JonasBunse KZhead Kevin Bacon 6 degrees. I believe he started this fun curiosity concept a few years ago to get us to realize how connected we really are.
@@jorfice Cheers, mate!
When a comedy show put more effort into saving the postal service then the government, you know that the government is a joke with no punchline.
Quoting Trevor Noah "Nowadays, politicians trying to take our jobs. And if that happen, soon you won't go to the comedy show if you want to laugh, you will go to conference press to get it"
The Punchline is everytime the current administration officials are standing side-by-side. Extend your fist and start running from one end to the other XD
It's a shame because the role of government is important, but its currently a joke because we keep electing self-interested douches to run it. Then we're "surprised" when it doesn't work.
Stolen line. ty.
👏👍good point and let’s buy some stamps!
I just love how excited he got about the Weiner rock.
I find it weird that in the US absolutely EVERYTHING has to make profit. I believe there are things that are inherently valuable enough, without it having to carry a profitable price tag, like cultural education, communications services, libraries, the majority of people would also argue that healthcare should fall into this category of things that make humans what we are, that's where governmental support with tax payers' money should kick in. Why some people would pressure these entities to turn a profit is beyond me.
Because American politicians who make the laws are paid off by the wealthy & the corporations to privatize what should be public services so that money can be made. Then the politicians work very hard with ridiculous rhetoric to sell the concept to the public. They keep repeating it until people start to believe it and embrace the very things that work against public interests. Just look at Trump claiming the election was fraudulent. His supporters begin to believe his lies. Also many Americans aren't well educated. That is really working against everyone.
The only reason the post doesn't profit is because half of their mail is corporate spam. You are LITERALLY subsidizing corporations for their spam mail and amazon to deliver their stupid plastic shit to people who buy shit they don't actually need.
@@FastlaneProductions1 nope the reason why it doesnt make a profit is because of a law preventing it from starting other services not directly related to packages and mail and the fact that they have to prepay decades worth of retirement plans for their workers in advance.
Humanity: "We have to solve Climate Change before we all die." Corporate Humanity: "Right...but how do we make a profit off of it?"
It's called capitalism and there's a reason why decent people hate it.
I doubt he'll read this but Thank You John. I'm a clerk with the USPS and I've wanted you to do an episode on us and that horrible law for some time now. Thank you for helping us.
GOAT
Greatest Of All Time?
I work for the USPS and have for the past two years and the most ludicrous thing I've seen delivered was two hives worth of live honeybees. Y'all, we deliver just about anything reliably. We need the USPS now more than ever.
@FJ Hey, cheers! What a kind thing to say! Working in a rather rural office means I sometimes deliver to what seems like the middle of nowhere, but it's always amazing to think "wow, my one office goes all the way out here!" I just hope the postal service survives this whole debacle because it's so incredibly important to our society.
Former mail carrier here. The most ridiculous thing I’ve seen someone try to deliver was ice cream. Spoiler alert, it melted.
As a beekeeper, I fail to see what's ludicrous about that. ;-)
@iamihop11 You’re supposed to say “I fail to see what all the buzz is about”
Hey, bees aren't that crazy! Hahaha
My father and I both have and use these stamp sheets still and I absolutely love them.
Mail carriers during this are big damn heroes, our society would collapse even more then it already has without them
Talking about dark humor at the Post Office, I had a clerk tell me that the flag at half mast meant that they were hiring.
There's black humor, and then there's this.
that's hilarious
Oooof!
Oh snap! 💀
John Oliver: "yeah, it would be a real shame if that business couldn't mail out its rocks" me, a geologist: well I'm glad we all agree with what's important
Jesus Christ, Marie, they're minerals! I've got some geodes coming that are very delicate, alright?!
I dmed this to my geologist friend😂
Just thought I'd mention that I didn't ask for this...
Jesus Christ, Marie, you have not enough minerals
@@100nitrog2 Alrighty
John, please do a segment on the USPS's working conditions, especially for carriers, and the toxic work environment and management that many employees, myself included, have to put up with.
I resigned after only a couple weeks for the exact points you’re bringing up.
Congrats on describing 98% of the jobs in the world right now.
@@juliebraden6911 Thank you, I really appreciate that deep, meaningful complimentary comment that brought so much valuable insight to the conversation. BTW, in case you didn't notice: 1) This episode was about the USPS; and 2) I was talking about my experience in the USPS, as well as that of many of my former co-workers. Aside from that: 1) Yes, I already know that. I'm way older than you look and have had lots of bad employers that I've walked away from. 2) I agree, the world is full of bad jobs. I happen to be working for one of the most powerful companies in the world and they treat us like crap while giving good benefits. Kinda like this conversation started. If you want sympathy or a productive conversation, try to approach others with kindly words instead of rude ones - you'll have more friends, fewer enemies, and you may even learn something or get some free help. I wish you success.
they did it!!!!! lol this is the first time I can come back to a john oliver video and say things have gotten better not worse
not really am i right or wrong
@@eddiew2325you lost bro?
@@pheela yes can you help me
@@eddiew2325where you tryna go bro?
My dad is a 40 year veteran of the USPS. I have fond memories of finding him on his route when I was young and people giving him cards and treats over the holidays. Not to mention all the dogs he befriended. I have a great affinity for the postal service and thank John Oliver for doing this piece on it. You are the best, John!
Thanks to your dad for his hard work!. I hear you about befriending dogs. I was one of the last delivery boys for the Pittsburgh Press., as a teen. Making friends with dogs, and cats, is a job requirement for all delivery persons. Wishing you a good night ;-)
@@ShawnsterVideos I have never commented on a KZhead post before. Thank you for the very nice comment. Nice to hear that others can relate. :-)
My dad has 36 years under his belt and I have the exact same memories. I remember driving onto his route with my mom to give him his lunch. I remember him coming home as a little boy and running into his arms. And I remember giving him arguments to present to management as college student. Really hope they pull through cause it was a great place to work for my dad
@@12bestskater12 Those are great memories. It was a great place for my dad too. I totally agree, I hope they pull through too.
@LaMortEtLamour what do you thinkmis the real problem? Global companies eating up domestic ones perhaps?
Something seems to be clearly missing from this episode: an investigation as to why that 2006 act was passed by Congress. Often, in a situation like this one, you would find, after some digging, that the motivation was to fulfill the wish of some lobbyist who want to weaken a competitor or privatise a formerly profitable public company on the ground that it is losing money.
Yes this exactly. Going to look it up myself though
I think you’ll find that the reason for that law was to ensure that the Postal Service pension is fully funded. But that doesn’t fit with the narrative here, so they skipped it.
No need to look far. All that is in the Act itself Here you go... fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R40983.pdf
It's probably FedEx and UPS lobbyists.
@@autophile525i Name another gov organization that had to prefund its pension for 50 years. Why this one?
3/10 update!!! The senate has abolished the pre-funding mandate! No longer artificially bankrupting the postal service
I will never forget going to the post office with my mom to pick up our chicks when I was six. We didn't open the box til we got to our car. Best day of my childhood, even though one arrived dead.
“The grass is greener under my wiener” A man of culture.
indeed.(as i sip a cup of tea)
I want a rock with a donkey or in biblical terms an ass on it with the message "back door guests are always best"
I think it's called mold
Definitely moldy and filled with body odor should get checkup too
Also why is the grass under the wiener? Shouldnt it be over? Just asking 😉
I hope that guy selling rocks in Kansas is ready for a sudden jump in sales.
That he can't mail. :(
I doubt it. They charge $100+ for the product and then $40+ for shipping, which is understandable considering the weight of the product. I went to their website after looking at this segment and thinking I have to get that weiner rock and after checking the cost then a heavy rock suddenly became unessential.
D. V. True. But there are people who can afford something like that and crazy about their weiners
@@joela6895 Agree.
Jesus Christ Marie. They're not rocks they're minerals.
I love being in the UK and not being able to watch these videos until they’ve been out for 6 weeks
mate. same.
Just VPN to a US server.
@@zachf9187 I dont want to pay for a VPN just to watch this show tbh
@@isnitjustkit Well than just be thankful you're not living in the US experiencing this reality TV nightmare in real time.
@@zachf9187 I guess the delay does keep me from getting too depressed
Is there anything, apart from the army and the police, that is actually properly funded in America?
Congressional Pork Barrel?
Trumps golf trips
Corporate bailouts
Nothing good, anyway.
Guns and drugs I suppose...
"The postal service is a joke" - The US president about an essential national service, while suggesting price gouging to a degree where said service would become complete inaccessible.
Well yeah. He actually can't kill it since it literally predates the Constitution, but he's willing to make it so that it's all but dead.
nailed it
He doesnt want to kill it, he wants mortally wound it and then privatize it, and dock everyone's pay to minimum wage.
Welp, seeing as people like you don't deal with banks then how else are you to get you're social security checks
Are you stupid or joking
To be honest this entire story boils down to one thing: conservative politicians de-fund public goods and services and then complain about how badly they perform.
And then the people who directly stand to profit from their disassembly or privatization slip them a hefty brib- i mean campaign donation
Politicians who can profit from turning public services into private ones are complaining about said services performance, defund them, complain some more, defund even more, complain way more and either defund public services to the point of near bankruptcy or just push those services to lower their employment below essential levels or push those services to sell their highly valued real estates.
@ Tbh i always thought that US democrat were a mixed bag of conservative and social-democrats (who are still conservative on some subjects).
The post office is dying because its 2020 and no one buys stamps to send letters anymore.
@ It may have been bipartisan when it first passed but now conservatives are using the lack of performance as an excuse.
the cows loving and grooming the kitty! ❤
As a USPS mail carrier - we're sacrificial. They do NOT care about their workers. The mail we carry has more value than our lives.
😔🤗
As someone who lives in the rural USA, the Postal Service offers us access to things we simply cannot get without driving hundreds of miles. There are no book stores out here, no electronics stores, hobbyist shops, kosher grocers, exotic pet stores; if you have ANY kind of interest beyond shooting guns, gardening, and watching TV, you're not going to find a lot of help in the sticks. But, through the post office, I'm able to study languages, get books on Supreme Court decisions, and buy specialist supplies to look for reptiles. Rural people have the same needs and dreams as everyone else, and our government shouldn't even remotely consider cutting us out of society like that. Oh, and working for the post office is one of the few middle class jobs out here, so don't take those away from us!
Plus, the people at the post office are so friendly and helpful. AND, they always remember to ask if you need any stamps!
But yet rural aMeriCa continual votes for people can give a poop. So cry me a river when YOU need something.
Scratch watching TV even. We don't get reception where we are, and we don't have good enough internet for streaming. What we watch on TV is all movies and series that we've bought the disks for and HAD THEM MAILED TO US THROUGH THE POST OFFICE> EDIT: Posted at break from work because that's the only place I have half decent internet.
@@mikedawson4291 Uhm.......I voted for Hillary Clinton in 2016, Obama twice, Bernie in the primary, researched down-ballot races, and looked up the decisions of my local judge candidates to see what their writing looks like (and, by the way, there aren't many online resources for local court cases). There are, indeed, a lot of idiots out here (there's a swastika on a bridge near our farm, and it terrifies me). But I've lived in cities too, and there are plenty of idiots there! You can't write off 99% of the landmass of the United States as nothing but ignorant, rebel flag-waving, truck-driving, wife-beating, Trump-zombies. We've got Jewish, queer, black, asian, Indian, Catholic, Indian, Lati@, and many other varieties of human. When you pretend like we don't exist in rural America, you're playing into the narrative of the people who drew the swastika, "There is only one kind of person allowed in this place."
@@diamondflaw We were there a few years ago, but the local phone co-op got fiber internet out here, and it changed my life :D Good luck making it through the pandemic with such crappy internet. I legitimately feel your pain.
How did John Oliver get me hyped to buy stamps? You’re the man Mr. Oliver
Yep, heading to stamps.com right now.
i’ve just purchased my sheet of stamps
I live in Europe and I have no use for them and I sure as hell don't collect stamps and I WANT A CHIJON STAMP!!
Noo. The point is to stop getting stamps. They lose money Everytime. The post office is dead if they don't raise prices.
if you dont use them - donate to kids to mail letters or to nursery homes for the elderly to use
the movie Postman with Kevin Costner really did a good job of showing how the postal service transcends being just a service into a truly beautiful concept
Gen Z kids: "Yo, these Lacemaking stamps SLAP."
As a family owned small business we rely almost entirely on the post office. They are right across the street from us. We ship out custom fortune cookies almost everyday and know most of the employees there. We are very worried we might lose the USPS.
Hey. Why did my fortune cookies say "You will participate in a comment section of a John Oliver video on KZhead." Thats too eerily accurate !!!
Can you put explicit pictures in cookies?
I havent been getting the same response from my dik pics and looking to spice things up.
What do you make?
boo hoo
That postal lady is a beacon of joy, she could interrupt anything and make it better.
Remer714 She seems like she’d be a pretty cool grandma.
What if she was white? Would she still be a “beacon of joy”?
Hey fellow planetsider
@@Harold.Richard Most likely. Skin color doesn't form your temperament/attitude. (Edit: Or is "beacon of joy" the wrong choice of word here? Sorry, not a native English speaker. No harm intended.)
@@jtktomb8598 After all these years you're the first one to comment on my profile picture. Impressive. :D I've stopped playing Planetside three years ago and just was too lazy to change my profile picture.
10:38-10:57 even in the void John Oliver still finds a way to make incredibly bizzare/dumb purchases. Never change you british toucan never change.
I seriously cracked up hard whenever he set the rock down. That sound I can't XD
My man Bernard Sanders has been workin his ass off to try and save the USPS, makes me real happy to see John tryin to help out too.
@ Bernie Sanders' #1 priority, as he's said, is getting Trump out of the White House. He cut his losses, and chose to back the guy who won more primaries. A sad day, but it speaks volumes to how much Bernie actually cares about America and our future. He was willing to sacrifice his own campaign. He knows he's not running again in his lifetime. How many politicians would do that? This is precisely why so many Americans stood behind him. He's smart. He's selfless. He gives a sh!t. Trump couldn't begin to understand any of that. Selfish Sociopathy vs. Selflessness.
How the writers and John Oliver manage to inform me of what’s going on while also making me laugh hard enough to scare my cat is both beyond me and a blessing to behold
USPS is genuinely an incredible service. Their priority is dirt cheap and handled shockingly well. Selling things on ebay I just wrap keyboards (in box) in brown butcher paper and they arrive perfectly okay, not a scratch on them. You do that in Canada and Canada Post will be delivering half a package with none of the contents.
Just got a letter with a “and now a stamp” stamp on it from my stats teacher
Ani's Trash Can I will watch your teachers career with great interest
what the fudge is a stats teacher?
HenryManson teacher who teaches the subject statistics
My husband has deployed 5 times and I always use the postal service to send him care packages since they charge domestic rates for care packages. It comes out to $17 and change for a large flat-rate box. I once tried UPS and they wanted to charge me $70.
This!!! Yes! Underrated comment
Sadly people most people.dont know this
@@ostropogask9415 Even crazier, when I asked UPS what they charged to ship to an APO address (the type of address the military uses for care packages), they didn't even know what it was until I explained it to them.
Maybe if the president wasn't a draft dodger he would know about this already?
UPS love it for the speed but we need the post office due to some business not accepting credit or debit cards for payment. So postal money orders is the safest and most reliable way to pay those damn businesses. (Government offices, landlords etc in case anyone wonder who )
I’m a 27 year veteran of the Postal Service. You and your crew are spot on with your analysis. Thank you!!!
You guys are always the ones to deliver. When the others guys won't, the post will. Where the other guys won't, the post goes.
I love you guys- thanks for all you do!
i love usps, thank you for everything!
Thank you for what you do.
We love you!! I love USPS
I’d say that a postmaster helping someone bury a dog during their lunch hour goes WAY above and beyond the call.
Thanks John. We need more people like you.
Here in Europe, John Oliver's show happens in the morning. I'm watching this with my Monday morning coffee
Me too. Great way to start the week
Same here, brightens my mondays
it must be nice to know that no matter how bad things are for you guys in europe that its worse across the pond! all i can say is "at least im not north korean" and that is a depresingly low bar!
Same lol! It's my Monday morning routine. I get angry when he doesn't post
He's a better American then most Americans I've met.
Not gonna lie. "And Now...a Stamp" 100% won me over.
Dante Christensen SAME. bought mine as soon as I saw that 😂😂
Same. It's brilliant.
Just ordered mine a few minutes ago!!!
I honestly can't wait to mail something...anything lol
Seeing Sierra Schultzie in that "Priority" tube top, was really the cherry on top of this 'greener-Weiner-dog-Rock' sundae!
Such an unexpected but welcome surprise to see a cute lil clip of her! 😂🙌🏼
35 years as a city carrier, and when I started back in 1983 was trained by retired military men it was great , loved being outside meeting people , even saved a elderly man on my route when he fell. My WW2 22yr Navy vet dad was happy and proud I choose the USPS over the military and because of my dad's long career and be wanted me to be safe and have stable job. I stayed for 35 yrs . We serve all of the American people , not for profit , but for service . Grateful for my 35 yrs . Oh I know more about how to run the USPS than Donald Trump and the USPS is not a joke , but how he managed his 3 casino's was a joke .
Let me be the first to 'Thank You for Your Service!' Through my whole life, up until literally the last ten years, I knew all my postal workers on a first name basis - the route carrier and public facing station workers. For the last 10 years, I have been getting a new carrier about every-other month because they are under paid contract workers and many are ESL. My mail has been delivered to the wrong address, gotten late, or went missing entirely. But, after watching this, I now know why. I remember as a kid that a postal job was the envy of the community, a real symbol of status. When someone was wearing that uniform, you knew they were honest and trustworthy. It was like they *had* to be just to get the job. Now, I see my postal carrier and wonder if they were the one who stole or lost my mail.
Who can trust anyone that can bankrupt a casino, several times, to know how to run business at all? Trump is just a blithering idiot.
Why did they close the savings account services? Especially if it is helping remote neighborhoods.
@@justinidiot7161 Thanks Justin when I started in 1983 it was a different time than when I retired in 2018. I delivered more mail and was not pushed or micromanged , but trust and respected then . Now conditions are tougher , give you 10 hrs of work doing it in 9hrs and give you 9hrs do it in 8hrs . And multi levels of new guys get paid less ,with less benefits . If it was private it would be 1000% worse , it would be like fast food service , high turnover low pay, theft . I have talked to a Amazon driver in 2018 his conditions are because that company is private and they have high turnover poor pay and benefits .
@@sambira And when you read how the little man , plumbers , carpenters , waitresses got screwed by Trump. He had no business owning a business and trying to run a country like a business . Herbert Hoover was a good man , wealthy business man but how he was raised and how he never could transfer his business knowledge to a broad large government . Thats why NY Governor Franklin Roosevelt who ran his state then, like NY Governor Cuomo does today .
I love that mail lady! She has a big smile and is doing her thing.
5:41 the way he said lacemaking...absolutely golden XD XD
I can certainly sympathise with people giving the USPS a hard time and I'm experiencing first-hand how the COVID crisis has impacted their service even more. I ordered a t-shirt from a store in Chicago and it's taken 3 weeks for it to travel just 23 miles from Bucktown to the USPS international sorting centre at O'Hare Airport. So much for getting my birthday present on time...
I’m so glad he did this story. The USPS is also the largest employer if United States military veterans. My late Auntie (US Army retired, E8) worked for the USPS from her retirement to just before her death. I’ve also rented P.O. Boxes for the last thirty years. And used USPS exclusively for doing my eBay shipping. We should support the USPS
Yep there are thousands of small Ebay sellers that couldn't turn a regular profit without USPS shipping rates.
Good to know others are aware of the problem. It's been eating me since 2006
It's either admirable or tragic to hear of people working for their retirement
Raichle9 I do love usps
@@QuikVidGuy In some cases, like this one, it can be admirable. I'm active duty military and a lot of the civilians we work with are retired military. You can find that at every military installation. They enjoy getting the extra income along with their pensions. More to the point, it's all the more reason why we need to support the Postal Service.
Nobody can ever accuse John Oliver of just mailing it in.
Of course, now he could with those new stamps.
Dear Mr. Oliver, I find myself blown away by seeing, quite possibly for the 1st time in my life, a human being who ACTUALLY KNOWS the answer to the question 'why is this all happening' ... Teach us!
Duck I missed this show so much ! I want John Oliver and his team to do an episode on black lives matter movement. I personally would love hearing him talk about the forgotten history events that led to today’s movements. His content it always well researched and factual.
The USPS doesn't have the authority to raise it's rates; only the Postal Regulatory Commission. is allowed to do that. You'd think the President would know this...
A President would know about it😆
@@pugnation not the current president. He doesn't know shit about how the government works. He had no idea that tariffs aren't even paid by the origin country! Hes a dumbass that doesn't even listen to his own advisors.
Amen! I recall at least a couple proposed rate increases after the 2006 debacle that were shot down by the Commission.
Yes, the major dunce in the Oval doesn't know squat about anything, period.
You'd think the President would know...well, anything, really. But now we live in the Upside Down, so fuck everything.
Postal service: no body is paying attention to me John: here we go..
@8:22 social programs should never be privatized as liberal devices should never be helmed by conservative entities..
Wow, The main point is to criticize Trump. You seriously think he cares about the postal service? Lmao. What sad guy you are. Burst that bubble dude. It’s all about Trump. If Trump can shave few years off these loser’s life, with anger and hate towards Trump, I’m all game. Go Trump.
He needs to talk about how Small Businesses are being attacked by monopolies since this pandemic they are suffering and the gov could careless since big business wants them to fail. American Traitors and Liers truly.
@@noirrain6005 actually he really didn't even go after trump that much. If you really want to see John tear into trump you can, he does it, but this really wasn't one of those videos. John points out a very real and valid concern about a vital service that was thought to be so important as to be enshrined in our constitution. I think that you are severely misguided in your comment and urge you to think about the importance of the postal service.
@@noirrain6005 Have you even watched the video? I'm halfway through the video and Trump has not even been mentioned yet, so... if half of the video is about explaining why the USPS is so important, maybe it's not that much about Trump as you - probably a troll - want others to believe.
This was great. I'm a Letter Carrier for 25 years and this is spot on.
John: Forever 21 collaboration Me: I remember Sierra shultzzie reviewing that craziness John: this KZheadr Me: gahahaha Sierra Shultzzie, you made last week tonight!!!
USPS is such a critical establishment to so many, including the elderly and disabled. It's also one of the few jobs you can get without a degree that has good pay, a pension, paid sick leave, vacation time, health insurance, and retirement benefits. I'm terrified for myself and the other hundreds of thousands postal workers in this country in regards to what could happen to our jobs.
Exactly, this administration (and Republican politicians in general) always say they care so much about good American jobs and yet do so much to destroy them.
USPS is great. I used to buy and sell audio equipment. USPS got the package there in three days for the same or less cost than UPS or FedEx did it in 5-7. It was a no-brainer. The notion that the private shippers are out-competing USPS is just absurd. Once Trump is out of office, congress should stop shitting the bed and let the post office manage its own affairs again.
@@cyndiebirkner704 not just this administration. You are giving democrats a pass.b
All because the orange menace has a hard on over Amazon owner Jeff. The fool gets something in his head and it is like a tick buried between his toes, he just cannot get rid of it! Bad advice is his only advice. If it were not for his insane views on this subject the P.O. could get Congressional help. We can only hope that the new President and Congress with have this problem on the top of it's list of things to fix on january 21, 2021! Kinda of funny that the orange menace does not want to allow us to VOTE BY MAIL! What does THAT say about him?
@Duan Nengo I mean, I agree - jobs are going away for so many people - so the few that are left are jobs where you have to compromise your values for - ones that don't require a degree or minimum wage jobs.
As a letter carrier this means a lot, thank all for your continued support. It is a genuine pleasure being a mailman because I take care of my people and they take care of me. It is my hope to do this until They force me to retire lol
We absolutely love our local neighborhood post woman! She is so sweet and nice! I really wish the government would have given the USPS a bailout instead of the damn airlines
I guess you're lucky if you enjoyed it there, my situation there as an RCA/TCA was mostly bad. IMO, USPS needs to take better care of their subs. They were always too concerned about saving money in all the wrong ways and won't hire full time positions or provide benefits to subs- even to people working there 40+ hours a week as "substitutes". In the end they had me going to 3 different post offices (over 20 routes total, including city routes) and having me do 2 routes every Saturday. I would also constantly help train new employees at all 3 post offices and finish up their routes if they couldn't finish on time, all this and my postmaster still treated me like shit. I worked more hours than any regulars for 4 years and still didn't have benefits or the ability to take a day off... -The job was great when I worked for a good postmaster. The second he retired it all went downhill. Worst part is, we had vacant routes for years (technically the person was on assignment for this long?) but the postmaster refused to assign anyone to them.
My mom retired as the rural.letter carrier from our teeny little town. She never missed days & got the mail delivered even in blizzard conditions. Her job was a big part of her identity. And like you, she loved it. She took care of people, relorted things when no one else cared, and always did just a little more than she needed to. Just like you, I'd bet. Please promise you will retire so you can enjoy what all your labor has brought you! Your job is hard and you deserve to relax when the time is right for you.
I know we all have made fun of "snail-mail" at some point, or been frustrated by it, but in reality, it is a staple of our society and WE APPRECIATE ALL OUR LETTER CARRIERS!!!!! You're still out there, no matter what else is happening. You are TRULY ESSENTIAL. Please stay safe.
I feel bad for all the canadians watching this getting reminded that they forgot about mother's day two weeks back
John Oliver is a genius !
As someone who has worked for UPS: No one has a last-mile infrastructure that can even dream of rivaling the United States Postal Service. It is a feat of modern human ingenuity, and we should, as a nation, take some fucking pride in it.
Preach, brother!!
How does usps have the best last mile infrastructure. Its mostly known for breaking parcels, giving people spam and losing 3 billion dollars every year.
Dewaldt he didn’t say UPS has the best last mile, he said USPS does
@@S-K69 apologies I meant USPS. UPS actually makes more money than it spends.
@Peter Evans Huh, sounds like you have 20 years of experience that is uniquely unsuited for evaluating the USPS, considering it's not a business. Have you tried being a federal agency developer?
As someone who's dealt with international shipping frequently: the USPS is definitely one of, possibly the, best parcel and mail services in the world. Countries like the UK have privatized their postal services and their quality has sharply declined, and prices exorbitantly increased, as a result. The USPS is unquestionably the best agency within the US government, and one that people should fight tooth and nail to defend.
one of the few instances where the "but US is such a big country" is actually valid: the postal service needs to remain a service available to all Americans, by law
AGREED
Denmark privatized their postal service too, and nobody I know there has anything good to say about it.
You're joking, right? 😂. As someone who ships hundreds of packages a month from Portugal, worldwide, I can assure you USPS is the worst of any non African country. USPS is absolutely, negligently reckless in handling the packages and it's incredibly, astonishingly slow. Royal mail is pretty bad too, don't get me wrong, but there's no comparison with how bad USPS is. I had to start charging a supplementary packaging fee to North American buyers as I can no longer justify having costumers from everywhere else subsidizing the totally extraneous packaging needed to account for the negligent way packages are treated by USPS. It's not by chance that American buyers are the only ones who always worry about packaging and start asking how the item will be packed, their preferences when it comes to that, etc. even before they purchase something. No one else feels the need to do that as everything always arrives just fine if one doesn't live in a country where apparently they put animals handling people's correspondence.
@@fgsaramago I've never once seen a metric that paints the USPS in a bad light. It's frequently rated as the top agency in the US and it's always in the top 10 for international postal service rankings. The most cited ranking is from the UPU, which puts it at 8/170, and no country in the top 10 comes even close to the size of the US. www.statista.com/chart/9877/the-worlds-best-postal-services/
My town doesn't have its own post office, despite its population being 5x the size of neighboring towns. Kudos to the USPS for only losing 2 packages and 1 letter in the 20 years I've lived here.
I just wanted to add this comment to anyone watching this for the first time or repeatedly. I took John's message about stamps as revenue to heart and went to my local post office and bought a Marvin Gaye stamp sheet today! It's amazing what they offer.
My father was a carrier in the 80s. It's a thankless job, overlooked. And it deserves respect. Everyone wants their mail, it doesn't appear magically. Without the USPS we will all get higher prices
"Are we essential, or sacrificial?" This question should be posed by all taken-for-granted essential workers, who are not only underpaid normally because their work is often viewed as "low skilled", (even though society wouldn't run without them), but are being extremely underpaid right now because they aren't being given 2x hazard pay across the board.
The question was already answered: We're sacrificial. Besides doctors, and seemingly only doctors, none of us are getting hazard pay for handling packages or food. 'Top it off, we're getting mandatory shifts at UPS and FedEx that aren't even giving standard 1.5 time. This keeps up, we're going to just leave our jobs and you guys can have fun getting your packages from other countries. We're not dying for lazy bums.
Hmmm... If only there was a type of organizational structure that primarily advocates for workers rights and benefits... 👀
I'm an essential worker as a CO at a jail. We are 100% sacrificial if you asked my government officials.
@@iwiffitthitotonacc4673 good luck valling the government 😂
@@gigaus0 Actually, that's not true. I work as a police dispatcher in Maryland. Essential employees that work for state agencies here do get paid double. I seriously don't understand why everyone who has to work during this time isn't being taken care of. I also don't get why Canada, New Zealand and other countries are making sure everyone gets 80% of their normal pay. This country is so fucked up.
I just lost my grandma to cancer this month and that goose joke fucking got me. Thank you John.
He had me at “dope ass lace stamp” lol
I'm a dispatcher for the USPS and yes, we ship baby chics almost every day this time of year. honey bees too!
Can we send bees to the Presidents office?
@@julienbrightside8635 Or more likely Murder Hornets?
Everyone needs to ship the white house a live goose. It'd save the post office and fill the mail room with pissed of geese
Quick question; I thought the postal service was independent and not a federal agency. Was this a rumor or is it more complex?
@@GAY_RULE it's an independent government agency, meaning that it is a federal agency, but it is not ultimately controlled by the president or by any cabinet secretary
My dad worked for the Usps my whole life, it has such a special place in my heart! He worked the main counter and people in the town loved him and would always bring him baked goods and gifts on holidays. It truly does connect people and to this day, I thank every post person I see