The Postman and the American Post Office circa 2011

I loved that Kevin Costner film The Postman.  Here is the trailer:

Looking at this film clip now?

It reminds me of what is going on in this country.  Why is the Post Office closing down offices?

This is the Washington Post on that:

Postmaster General Patrick R. Donahoe said in a recent interview that the changes will help save millions of dollars.

“We have post offices out there that we have two customers, or three customers come in in an entire day,” Donahoe said. “Remember the Maytag repair man? He used to have the loneliest job in the world. We probably have about 5,000 postmasters that have the loneliest job in the world.”

Federal law prohibits the Postal Service from closing traditional post offices – where most mail processing occurs – for economic reasons, so Donahoe is targeting about 2,000 postal stations and branches – smaller, mostly leased sites often in skyscrapers or shopping plazas – that don’t employ letter carriers.

“It is not our intention to take access away from the American public,” Donahoe said, noting that the changes reflect shifting customer habits.

The 500 sites closing by June include about 400 that suspended operations because of weather or fire damage, environmental concerns or a lack of business. Most of the sites haven’t been operational in about a year, but some haven’t operated in almost three decades, said Dean Granholm, vice president of delivery and post office operations.

One wonders in the post Sputnik Era of American Politics who is responsible?

The Newspaper Industry in America, gone.

Our Post Offices?  Gone?

Let’s look at the Genogram again:

1975—————————————————————-2011.

In 1975, most Americans had jobs and houses.  What happened?

It is so interesting that the article references The Maytag Man.

I bought a pair of Maytags for my house, because they were an American company.  They still work.

The concept of the Post Office in America works for me, too.

It seems as if everything else has been deregulated into oblivion.  But there is one thing about that Costner film that is very close to the American sentiment in 2011.  Our country looks like that.

What are we producing in this country?  Anything?

Which politicians had the non-foresight to allow all the jobs to go overseas?

For all the talk about American Exceptionalism, which politician is going to do something to help this country?  Instead of just spouting off?

My generation of tail end boomers sees the themes in The Postman coming true in 2011.

How about you?

Save the mail, by writing real letters, and save the Post Offices in America.