Per the Atlantic C4L has 760,000 supporters; also more on libertarian war on toilet regs

[sailingaway]

Rand Paul and the 19-Year Libertarian War on Low-Flow Toilets

http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2011/03/rand-paul-and-the-19-year-libertarian-war-on-low-flow-toilets/72545/

[Agorism]

supporters or members? anyone know?

[sailingaway]

The Campaign for Liberty, Ron Paul's 501(c)4 group, which maintains the remnants of the elder Paul's campaign e-mail list, sent a video clip of the toilet talk at last week's hearing to its 760,000 supporters, praising Rand Paul for "taking the fight to the statists.

that's all it says.. but I presume members since I think that is the only kind of 'supporter' it has.

[erowe1]

that's all it says.. but I presume members since I think that is the only kind of 'supporter' it has.

It really has two kinds, those who give it money and those who don't but still have memberships on the website. I assume the 760k is the latter.

[sailingaway]

It really has two kinds, those who give it money and those who don't but still have memberships on the website. I assume the 760k is the latter.

Yeah, but they call them 'unpaid members' they may still be active, just not 'paid memberships'.

[00_Pete]

Its a "smartass" attack against RP and libertarians. Prick. He knows this whole thing goes way beyond toilets...

[sailingaway]

Its a "smartass" attack against RP and libertarians. Prick. He knows this whole thing goes way beyond toilets...

Oh, yeah. But I think he is warning progressives to take the response to Rand's video (the 190,00+ youtube views) as a shot across the bows.

[Kludge]

It really has two kinds, those who give it money and those who don't but still have memberships on the website. I assume the 760k is the latter.
There are people who are simply on C4L's mailing list posted on their home page. Given it's talking about sending a video clip to people, I'd imagine they're including everyone on their mailing list.

[Fox McCloud]

Beyond the immediate buzz, conservative activists seem to agree that toilets and lightbulbs make for good talking points as examples of federal intrusion that fit within a broader libertarian narrative about the current administration.

This is all I need to read to know it's a hit piece, per se to smear libertarians and some conservatives "see how kooky they are? They're concerned about the efficiency of something so simple as a toilet".

The reason libertarians talk about it is likely because, more than most other political groups, they have a much higher percentage of very tenacious, very vocal supports who tend focus on everything "under the sun" rather than one issue...I'd be willing to bet they also harped on 50,000 other things in addition to the toilet and lightbulb as well.

What a crappy piece. =p

[fisharmor]

Its a "smartass" attack against RP and libertarians. Prick. He knows this whole thing goes way beyond toilets...

I don't know why everyone thinks the toilet thing is funny.
I don't find it particularly amusing that my toilet bowl regularly has shit stuck to it, that I have to scrub the shit off it regularly, that I have to keep a shitty toilet brush ready to scrub it, and that I have to do all of this or else I risk my toddler getting her fingers in shit.
It doesn't have to go too far beyond toilets. The toilet thing was an early example for me for why the state is useless. They are literally making our lives shittier. Really funny.

[00_Pete]

I don't know why everyone thinks the toilet thing is funny.
I don't find it particularly amusing that my toilet bowl regularly has shit stuck to it, that I have to scrub the shit off it regularly, that I have to keep a shitty toilet brush ready to scrub it, and that I have to do all of this or else I risk my toddler getting her fingers in shit.
It doesn't have to go too far beyond toilets. The toilet thing was an early example for me for why the state is useless. They are literally making our lives shittier. Really funny.

I bet you have to buy more brushes to replace the shiat filled ones all the time. Brushes that require energry and resources to make. Or doing double flushes to get rid of the occasional stubborn turd. Not to mention that the power of the flush depends a lot on gravitational energy in the deposit so a low-flush deposit will generate less energy possibly making you go for a third turd flushing.

Once again we see that a superficial way of looking at things combined with the natural impulse to be "good" (in this case save water) can actually backfire. From the famines in Ukraine to shiat filled toilets and brushes. The socialist menace must be stoped at all costs :mad:

[sailingaway]

I bet you have to buy more brushes to replace the shiat filled ones all the time. Brushes that require energry and resources to make. Or doing double flushes to get rid of the occasional stubborn turd. Not to mention that the power of the flush depends a lot on gravitational energy in the deposit so a low-flush deposit will generate less energy possibly making you go for a third turd flushing.

Once again we see that a superficial way of looking at things combined with the natural impulse to be "good" (in this case save water) can actually backfire. From the famines in Ukraine to shiat filled toilets and brushes. The socialist menace must be stoped at all costs :mad:

San Francisco has spent $100 million trying to clean their sewers and is now going to put $14 million worth of bleach down them to try to clean them out, because there has been insufficient water with the mandated low flow toilets to keep the sewer flowing. When it leaves your toilet it is just the start of the amazing journey....

the environmental groups are horrified now, about the bleach going into the bay...

I saw a blog that had Rand's spiel about toilets up saying that in a way the author wasn't too displeased that Nancy Pelosi, Queen of the Nanny state had created rules that made her district smell like a fart....

[Tinnuhana]

In Hong Kong, the toilets are on separate water systems from shower, faucet, etc. The toilets use salt water. Or at least, they did in 1990, before reversion to the PRC.

[Anti Federalist]

I don't know why everyone thinks the toilet thing is funny.
I don't find it particularly amusing that my toilet bowl regularly has shit stuck to it, that I have to scrub the shit off it regularly, that I have to keep a shitty toilet brush ready to scrub it, and that I have to do all of this or else I risk my toddler getting her fingers in shit.
It doesn't have to go too far beyond toilets. The toilet thing was an early example for me for why the state is useless. They are literally making our lives shittier. Really funny.

This ^^^

And the larger, more fundamental question: if government can regulate your toilet, what's keeping it from regulating everything else.

[Reason]

I don't know why everyone thinks the toilet thing is funny.
I don't find it particularly amusing that my toilet bowl regularly has shit stuck to it, that I have to scrub the shit off it regularly, that I have to keep a shitty toilet brush ready to scrub it, and that I have to do all of this or else I risk my toddler getting her fingers in shit.
It doesn't have to go too far beyond toilets. The toilet thing was an early example for me for why the state is useless. They are literally making our lives shittier. Really funny.

Thread winner.

[Bman]

I had to slap down one of my progressive friends over this video. His final retort was that he should have used different examples. Rand made a significant point in that go between that the ladies philosophy was full of holes. Of course the main stream progressives are going to try and write it off as crazy talk. They don't want to debate their philosophy on such matters, they know it sucks.

[Mani]

This ^^^

And the larger, more fundamental question: if government can regulate your toilet, what's keeping it from regulating everything else.

You mean some things are not regulated? What's left?