Monthly Current Events: USPS and Lebanon
For the past few months, Carina and I have compiled protest resources for various issues occurring around the world. While we’d like to keep this idea going, we’ve realized that more than ever, information and awareness are paramount stepping stones to get involved. So, while there will still be a few linked petitions, this month will feature a short synopsis of a couple of current events that are pressing and deserve coverage.
Lebanon:
On August 4, an explosion occurred in Lebanon and quickly the disaster circulated all over the world’s news outlets and social media. Between the videos of a woman having her wedding photoshoot crashed by the force of the explosion or phone shots of the growth from a small fire to a full on explosion, people around the world were left questioning what happened and whether they should be scared it would happen again. Although words like “terrorism” and “attack” were the first to make major headlines, in reality the explosion has been attributed to poorly stored ammonium nitrate, which caught fire in a warehouse. While the fear of the explosion being part of a bigger scheme is no longer a plausible theory, attention should still continue to be turned onto Lebanon, which has undergone much unrest in recent years.
First, since October 2019, Lebanon has been undergoing internal change through a revolution, which began due to economic and political unrest, a lack of stable electricity and clean water supplies, electoral fraud, poor waste management, and severe unemployment rates. All of these culminated in a cry for change instituted by the citizens, who wish to tear down the corrupt and sectarian government.
Second, Lebanon is in the middle of a severe economic crisis, which has caused the Lebanese pound to lose over 86% of its value. Huge inflation is perpetuating debt and pausing businesses. Due to the inflation, the cost of basic goods has skyrocketed compared to the costs prior to the economic depression, leaving parts of Lebanon in a state of starvation. Additionally, the import supply chain in Lebanon has dwindled to a near halt as suppliers are unable to come up with the funds to pay manufacturers. In times of a pandemic, this means hospitals are low on medical supplies and people are unable to receive proper medical aid. Finally, inequality is heightened because the rich are able to pay increased government taxes while the poor are struggling to make ends meet. Lebanon’s huge national debt means the government cannot pay for important social programs or reliable electricity, forcing those who can afford it to purchase expensive generators.
Here and here are a few links you can use to aid Lebanon or learn more about their state of affairs.
USPS
Recently, the USPS has entered the limelight as President Trump passed a series of legislation that slowly deconstructs funding for the USPS. Such budget cuts will hugely limit the capabilities of the USPS to efficiently complete its services. While it might be easy to overlook the importance of the USPS in the age of Amazon, Fedex, or even email, the USPS is more important than ever, especially during an election year. The USPS allows for a mail-in-voting option to be viable, which is essential for those unable to go to a voting center for various reasons, such as health, distance, or work constraints. With the ongoing pandemic, it also helps to keep people away from voting centers where disease can spread and infect the vulnerable. Without an efficient USPS, votes will not be able to reach the correct officials in time to be counted, thus eliminating a large portion of votes. With the current legislation going into effect, postal delivery times are dramatically longer and less reliable. While it's often unproductive to bring politics into the mix, it is worth mentioning that Trump supporters are less likely to take COVID measures seriously (as Trump himself doesn’t) and thus will be less likely to utilize mail-in-ballots. Therefore, in order to preserve fair, representative elections, the USPS is essential.
Besides the impending election, the USPS is one of the highest paying jobs one can have without having a degree, which makes it a viable option for many people, including veterans, whom the USPS is the largest employer of. Furthermore, the USPS is the only affordable postal service for many Americans and it reaches every single address in the United States, which is vital for small towns and rural areas to stay connected to the larger society. Finally, the USPS cannot open your mail while private delivery companies can freely do with your packages what they wish because privacy enforcement is limited.
Here is a helpful resource to learn more and find ways to support the USPS.