Should The US Postal Service Provide Secure Email?

Just what we need- more government inefficiencies impinging on our lives. No, I don't think it is a good idea to get the government (or quasi-government, such as the post office) involved in delivering e-mail. I suspect there would be all sorts of controls over what would be permitted to send (not just content, but such things as bandwidth limits that prevent you from sharing videos, etc.). And, look at your mailbox. How much "Spam" do you receive daily in the regular mail? Bulk mailings have for a long time been a major source of income for the Post Office. Do you want more spam in your e-mail box?

Fed Ex and UPS can make a profit because they provide a guaranteed delivery service between individuals, not a general socialized delivery system that is supposed to be equal for all...

Actually I get great service for lower cost for packages and paper communications from the US Postal Service.

In fact I paid quite a bit of money to mail something to France via UPS to get a supposed 3 day delivery, that took three weeks.

UPS said, the workers in France were mad at us.

Paper junk mail is really disappearing from my US Mail box, while junkmail into the email is consistent, or increasing.

Really, sometimes I think that the US Postal Service is one department of the US Government worth defending.

Sometimes I feel that the US Postal Service is a Political triumph, for they do seem able to get along with many other nations better than any other US entity.

Transcendian-

That was me posted as guest above. I agree that, in it's day, the US Postal Service was a phenomenally efficient operation, and it is the one case of privatization that helped me realize that not all things should be privately run. It has been a while since I have had to deal with the postal service, so I really shouldn't comment on its performance today. I too have had serious issues with UPS- it has never been my favorite (Fed Ex has always been more reliable).

The Postal Service is not subsidized by the Government. At one time they were considered part of the government, but only when they made money. Then the government took their share. When they lost, they were on their own. They are governed by the postal board of directors and must have all rate increases approved by (I believe) the house and senate. UPS will drop off boxes to the postal service when delivery is not economical because of location or lack of revenue. The postal service must make deliveries. Fed Ex had made an agreement to fly mail in their planes, when room is available, in exchange for delivering parcels to rural locations off the beaten track. However the Postal Service cannot just drop off packages to any other carrier due to "sanctity of the mail".
I don't remember who the postmaster general was at the time, but they were looking into providing secure mailings that would be transmitted at the local post office to the nearest postal facility, where it would have been printed, placed unseen in a sealed envelope and delivered with the mail pronto. The postmaster at the time didn't think it was feasible or economically sound and it was buried. GUESS WHAT? When he left the postal system he attempted to start a company doing just that. It didn't make it because the infrastructure was not there to begin with. The postal service is already in every town across the nation and elsewhere. They could have been way ahead of everybody else, but anything that may make money, someone in the government will trash it and attempt to take advantage of the system.
The Postal Service is considered one of the only "government agencies" that the people trust. YES I think the Postal Service should be saved!

What makes you think that, " The US Postal Service" can "Provide Secure Email?"

What makes you think they can't?

Sometimes all you have to do is ask.

I guess it comes down to how they could make it any more, "secure" than the present system. Is there any reason to suspect that the USPS, with all it's baggage, could provide secure anything.

Will you take a DVD to the post office for transmission? Or will you send your USPS electronically secure communication over the present system?

I suppose both options could be offered, though I have doubts that going to the post office to transmit a DVD, or CD, would really work out.

In the thread some aspects of the situation have been clarified.

It sort of makes you feel sorry for the good old US Post Office really. They can't even go to 5 day delivery unless Congress will let them.

Truly I'm not sure if it is really a good idea in this era for the US to go to 5 day delivery for I wonder if it would adversely affect the struggling economy.

I wonder if it would be a legitimate role for the US Postal Service to work to protect our internet and email communications from hack assaults, viruses and the like?

It would appear that on one hand the US Postal Service is forced to compete with private enterprise, and then told there are things that it must do in the national interest that make that harder on the institution.

What the Hell! Maybe the best solution is to simply allow the institution to compete, see what email service they can bring to the mix, and if its better, well then, people will likely use it.

Whereas in some cases I might start a thread, where I have already a coherent and more complete sense myself from the start, what the answers are, or may be, in this case, I don't.

At the core of my questions on this topic, is the question of defense of email communications. One reason I am struggling with this does rest on my perception that internationally the US Postal Service may well have relationships to build on that rival those of other institutions, and companies.

You take your chances using email and the internet unless SSL it like banks do.