Government functions by putting a gun in the face of one group, taking some of their resources (plus their own cut for "admin"), and redistributing to another group. The second group is usually much larger than the first and stands to receive a benefit that is much greater on a commensurate level than the loss of the smaller group being mugged. They are then "legitimized" via elections because the much larger group who gain the benefit have more "say", in terms of voting power, than the smaller group who are being stolen from. This is not a new game, it's just much more widespread (and therefore set up for much more systemic collapse) than any other time in history.Government is a gang of thieves writ large. They produce NOTHING, only co-opt existing services or hobble them by making them more expensive (regulations, taxes, fees, licensing, etc). Municipal trash pickup was not invented by government, but by entrepreneurs seeking profits. Household plumbing was not invented by governments but by entrepreneurs seeking profits. Medical care was NEVER invented or even added to by governments, but always by people seeking profits. I'm not advocating fascism either, so don't try to tell me that the current circle-jerk of corporate cronies and government gun-wielders being "bi-partisan" about leeching from good, productive people is anything CLOSE to free markets and voluntary interactions. Despite all of his rhetoric, Reagan actually expanded the size and scope more than ANY president prior to him outside of wartime. You need to research some real history there, friend. Austerity is bad only when a massive chunk of society comes to be solely dependent on the state to "provide" for them, and even then it's only "bad" in a temporary way. You don't give the guy who's already drunk off his face another 3 shots of vodka. You give him some black coffee and sit him down to sober up so he can get on with his life. Once the resources that have been stolen are re-deployed into private interactions, wealth will skyrocket and upward mobility will once again be possible.Now, back to the issue of USPS. This has already had a "hidden" effect and slowed down shipping time in many areas, as I have several friends who work for USPS who have informed me that they have been re-routing things, to try to see what the best possible means of shutdown have been, for the past couple of months. It will be worse after the shutdowns and layoffs have occurred.