I think the USPS is importance lies in that they serve a section of the market that wouldn't be served otherwise. Their charter probably requires that they del

I think the USPS is importance lies in that they serve a section of the market that wouldn't be served otherwise. Their charter probably requires that they deliver mail to rural areas i.e. unprofitable ones. If you really wanted them to be competitive you would allow them to ditch their "unprofitable" routes (sorry Alaska) and fund their retirements like Fedex and UPS. As an aside, it does seem that they are "ad supported" to a certain extent.