Lysander spooner mail delivery

A fascinating topic!

Lysander Spooner (1808-1887) was an American abolitionist, individualist anarchist, and philosopher who was known for his strong opinions on various topics, including mail delivery.

In the mid-19th century, Spooner was a vocal critic of the United States Post Office, which he believed was a government monopoly that stifled competition and innovation. He argued that the Post Office was a form of taxation without representation, as citizens were forced to pay for a service they may not use or want.

In 1844, Spooner wrote a pamphlet titled "The Unconstitutionality of Slavery" in which he also criticized the Post Office for its role in perpetuating slavery. He argued that the Post Office was complicit in the slave trade by delivering mail to slave owners and facilitating the transportation of enslaved people.

Spooner's views on mail delivery were shaped by his libertarian philosophy, which emphasized individual freedom and limited government intervention. He believed that the Post Office should be abolished and replaced with a system of private mail delivery, where individuals and companies could compete to provide mail services.

In his pamphlet "No Treason: The Constitution of No Authority" (1867), Spooner wrote:

"The Post Office is a government institution, and as such, it is a monopoly. It is a monopoly, not only of the mail, but of the means of communication. It is a monopoly, not only of the means of communication, but of the means of information. It is a monopoly, not only of the means of information, but of the means of thought. It is a monopoly, not only of the means of thought, but of the means of action. It is a monopoly, not only of the means of action, but of the means of life."

Spooner's ideas on mail delivery were influential in shaping the debate about government intervention in the postal service. While his views were not widely adopted during his lifetime, they continue to be discussed and debated by libertarians and anarchists today.

In summary, Lysander Spooner's views on mail delivery were shaped by his libertarian philosophy and his criticism of government intervention in the postal service. He believed that the Post Office was a monopoly that stifled competition and innovation, and that it should be abolished and replaced with a system of private mail delivery.