6 ms·

The post office is in the US Constitution in Article I, Section 8, Clause 7 saying "To establish Post Offices and Post Roads". This has lead to rulings and dec

The post office is in the US Constitution in Article I, Section 8, Clause 7 saying "To establish Post Offices and Post Roads". This has lead to rulings and decisions that give some monopoly situations.

knolax 7y ago
It makes me wonder, if the Second Amendment can be expanded to include modern weaponry, could the Eighth be expanded to include modern forms of communication, eg. make access to internet a Constitutional issue.
- protomyth 7y ago
  Uhm, I'm not sure how Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. would do that. If you mean this article, then it is rather specific where the 1st and 2nd amendments are general principles and rights that are regarded as timeless.
  - saghm 7y ago
    Maybe GP meant Article I section 8 (the section quoted in their parent)?
    - protomyth 7y ago
      If you mean this article, then it is rather specific where the 1st and 2nd amendments are general principles and rights that are regarded as timeless.
    - knolax 7y ago
      Sorry my bad.
- Rebelgecko 7y ago
  I think the courts have been pretty consistent in saying that the 1st Amendment applies to speech and press on the internet (although there is some interesting crossover with the 2nd Amendment, a la https://codeisfreespeech.com https://codeisfreespeech.com) Some things are a bit muddled when you have things like cloud providers and crossing borders, but the 4th Amendment certainly covers at least a subset of digital communications.
gojomo 7y ago
Not just "rulings and decisions"that interpreted the Constitution – Congress passed a law to ban certain kinds of competition, like Spooner's.
- protomyth 7y ago
  True, but you would hope that when unconstitutional laws are brought to court they would be struck down (results vary). For one of the odd cases which details the weird world of USPS laws passed by Congress, check out Postal Service v. Flamingo Industries which starts with claims of attempts to create a mail sack production monopoly and goes interaction complicated from there. I was not aware the USPS has the powers of eminent domain and to conclude international postal agreements.

knolax 7y ago

It makes me wonder, if the Second Amendment can be expanded to include modern weaponry, could the Eighth be expanded to include modern forms of communication, eg. make access to internet a Constitutional issue.

protomyth 7y ago
Uhm, I'm not sure how Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. would do that. If you mean this article, then it is rather specific where the 1st and 2nd amendments are general principles and rights that are regarded as timeless.
- saghm 7y ago
  Maybe GP meant Article I section 8 (the section quoted in their parent)?
  - protomyth 7y ago
    If you mean this article, then it is rather specific where the 1st and 2nd amendments are general principles and rights that are regarded as timeless.
  - knolax 7y ago
    Sorry my bad.
Rebelgecko 7y ago
I think the courts have been pretty consistent in saying that the 1st Amendment applies to speech and press on the internet (although there is some interesting crossover with the 2nd Amendment, a la https://codeisfreespeech.com https://codeisfreespeech.com) Some things are a bit muddled when you have things like cloud providers and crossing borders, but the 4th Amendment certainly covers at least a subset of digital communications.

gojomo 7y ago

Not just "rulings and decisions"that interpreted the Constitution – Congress passed a law to ban certain kinds of competition, like Spooner's.

protomyth 7y ago
True, but you would hope that when unconstitutional laws are brought to court they would be struck down (results vary). For one of the odd cases which details the weird world of USPS laws passed by Congress, check out Postal Service v. Flamingo Industries which starts with claims of attempts to create a mail sack production monopoly and goes interaction complicated from there. I was not aware the USPS has the powers of eminent domain and to conclude international postal agreements.