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The legacy media is alternately sneering or laughing at President Trump and his recent comments about toilets and the number of flushes needed to clear them. But, it’s not just toilets that don’t work. Please, Mr. Trump, make American appliances great again. Deregulate our homes.
We can thank President Nixon for the forcible entry into our bathrooms. Nixon signed the Energy Policy and Conservation Act of 1975. From the Department of Energy website:
The Department of Energy (DOE), through the Buildings Technologies Office, sets minimum energy efficiency standards for approximately 60 categories of appliances and equipment used in homes, businesses, and other applications, as required by existing law. The appliances and equipment covered provide services that are used by consumers and businesses each day, such as space heating and cooling, refrigeration, cooking, clothes washing and drying, and lighting. DOE’s minimum efficiency standards significantly reduce U.S. energy demand, lower emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants, and save consumers billions of dollars every year, without lessening the vital services provided by these products. In addition, DOE implements laws designed to limit the water consumption of several plumbing products.
Sixty categories of appliances and equipment? Saving consumers billions of dollars every year? Without lessening the vital services provided by the products? These people are delusional.
Our “betters” in the D.C. Swamp have used all kinds of scare tactics and bad science to force us to use appliances that claim to be efficient, but are not. The Earth is cooling, the Earth is warming. Greenhouse gases are bad. There is a hole in the Ozone layer. There is not enough gas. Coal is bad. The Earth is drying up so toilets don’t need to be flushed every time you pee.
None of our appliances work the way they are supposed to work. You can live without owning a dishwasher, washing machine, dryer, or refrigerator. You can live without heating or cooling, depending on where you live. Unless you live in California or New York, toilets are a necessity. Donald Trump has his finger on the pulse of the American people. In his rambling, train of thought style, the President captures what those of us who love our modern conveniences think:
Yes, yes, ten times is an exaggeration. Toilets in the olden days used to have five to eight gallons per flush (gpf). Toilets today use 1.6 gpf. And, dishwashers used to use 10 to 15 gallons per cycle. Today, that number is less than six. Same with washing machines. Water makes a difference. The power of the pump is great, but water gets the job done.
In a segment on PBS News Hour, Judy Woodruff and two “experts” discussed Trump’s suggested deregulations. The segment is posted in an article: “How Trump’s stance on energy-efficient appliances is connected to nostalgia.” Yes, nostalgia for when we only had to flush the toilet once. The introductory paragraph tells you the interview will be actual fact free:
For years, Washington has seen a bipartisan push to change laws, regulations and incentives to make household appliances and goods more energy efficient. In a warming world, many scientists and advocates say even tougher standards should be set. But President Trump is moving to roll back some of those laws, arguing they’ve gone too far. John Yang talks to The Washington Post’s Juliet Eilperin.
“In a warming world”? The Earth warms, the Earth cools. It’s not man-made. We are too puny for that. It’s a Universe kind of thing. Also, from the article:
The president has also taken issue with bans on plastic straws and has begun selling them on his campaign Web site.
Environmental advocates say many of President Trump’s claims are inaccurate or use outdated information. All of this comes with an election year on the horizon. Democratic presidential candidates have pledged to make climate change a top priority. The president has frequently denied or been skeptical of the scientific consensus on the issue.
The Trump administration has also moved to roll back fuel standards on cars and trucks. That’s a big part of America’s daily lives and a big source of greenhouse gas emissions.
Judy and her guests never tell us what claims are inaccurate or use outdated information. Meanwhile, out here in the real world. We use a ton of water washing our dishes before we put them in the dishwasher and flushing our toilets multiple times.
Make Toilets Great Again!
Welcome Instapundit Readers.
“Drive-In Toilet” by thatchopsguy is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Joe in PNG says: Let the nomenklatura sneer all they want, but the people notice these sorts of things.
GWB says: The technocrats think there’s nothing we can do about it. We said “Hold my beer” and elected Trump.
I only hope it inspires someone with even more small gov’t principles to take the field in 2024, and to lay waste to the bureaucracy technocracy.
Let’s move the Overton Window back to normal.
Toni Williams says: GWB- I mention the Overton Window to people and they look at me quizzically. I explain it and they look at me like I am nuts.
TW
GWB says: save consumers billions of dollars every year
Lie #1
without lessening the vital services provided by these products
Lie #2
60 categories of appliances and equipment
How do you even remotely come up with 60 categories?1? o.O
There is a hole in the Ozone layer.
Yeah, I always loved that one. “Our aerosols are destroying the ozone layer!” Meanwhile, the prime component of the smog choking the cities where all the aerosols were being used? Ozone.
Unless you live in California or New York, toilets are a necessity.
Nah. See, if they crowd everyone into multi-story dwellings, then we can go back to tossing the contents of our chamber pots out the windows! And, since chivalry is right out nowadays, you ladies are walking on the outside from now on!
water gets the job done
Funny, but I learned that three things cleaned dishes/clothes/cars/people: a caustic agent that breaks the protein bonds of grease and dirt, elbow grease, and water – lots and lots of water. (You know the best way to clean your dirty dishes? Immediately soak them in lots of beautiful hot water. Everything after that is easier.)
ten times is an exaggeration
Depends on … well, certain factors involved in your sit. Also depends on whether or not you’re on one of those with an automated flush – I can have one of those go off like 6 times before I get out of the stall.
Yes, nostalgia for…
When things frelling WORKED!
a bipartisan push
Yes, because there are plenty of GOPers who also want to be technocrats who run the lives of the little people for their own good.
many of President Trump’s claims are inaccurate or use outdated information
This, coming from the people who have f*ed up EVERY single prediction they have made for 50 years? The world has gone mad!
scientific consensus
You keep using those words, I don’t think those words mean what you think they mean.
If I could have three wishes, one of them would be to amend the Constitution so that Congress, the Justices, and all of the executive branch bureaucratic agency personnel must live with any proposed regulations for 20 years before they can be imposed on the rest of the citizenry. Even if they leave their position – if it goes into effect while they’re there, it applies to them for 20 years. Frell them.
(Did you miss the opportunity for CS Lewis’ quote about tyrannies? Or just think everyone should know it by now?)
Toni Williams says: Yes. Btw, I can’t drive 55.
TW.
Gridlock says: Why is the Federal Government in my bathroom?
Don’t I have the intelligence to balance the factors of cost, efficiency and cnvenience? Do they think they can make that decision for me better than I can?
Don’t I have the right?
GWB says: Don’t I have the intelligence to
Are you part of the nomenklatura? Are you part of the technocracy making these decisions? Did you graduate from Harvard? Do you agree with their decisions?
If you answered “no” to all four of those, then the answer is “obviously not”.
cthulhu says: The enumerated powers of the Federal government have never included low-flow shower heads, 1.6 gpf toilets, incandescent lights, and 3-gallon-per-cycle dishwashers. These are unlawful extensions of Federal power to enhance graft in the legislature.
Dave Coleman says: I agree with the basic point made, but I have good news on the low flush toilet front. If you want a 1.6 gpf toilet that actually works, try the Toto Drake. I suspect other Toto models may work, but I only have personal experience with the Drake. It does not “sort of” work, like others I am aware of, it works as well as the old 3.5 gpf toilets that I replaced.
And no, I am not a paid shill. I am just a very satisfied customer.
Ever notice how Toasters can’t make bread brown any more on the first go? But by the time the second cycle is through, it’s dried out all the way through.
Chrystal McCormick says: Dr Mauser, we bought a commercial 4 slice toaster 15 years ago. It works perfectly. Spent a lot of money at a restaurant kitchen supply store, but totally worth it.
Douglas Wenzel says: What experts forget is that these products have a long expected useful life, and people have no plans to replace them every three years as the technology matures. When you force the new technology on people through regulation, the technology may not yet be ready for prime time. By now, the new low-water-consumption appliances may work adequately, but in the meantime, folks have been stuck purchasing several iterations of the new technology that didn’t quite work.
To this, most folks who aren’t appliance geeks say “fool me once, shame on you”; fool me twice – shame on me.”
At this point, we don’t want to listen. We have no interest in buying a toilet, dishwasher, or other clothes washer, every three years, as they finally get closer to the performance of the older, old school models. We expect dishwashers and clothes washers to last at least ten, like the old Kenmores and Maytags, and toilets to last thirty.
GWB says: By now, the new low-water-consumption appliances may work adequately
No, they don’t.
Dave L. says: Make toilets great again.
And dishwashers.
And washing machines.
And gas cans.
And light bulbs.
And shower heads.
Sam L. says: I used to live in an apartment. I had occasions to snake my toilet, and on some to call in the maintenance man.
We’ve just moved into a new house, and have had to snake one of the toilets already.
beau says: since everything they touch turns to s**t, they want it in our faces whether we like it, or not. hence, low water flushes that keep their “fetid pronunciations” right in our faces.
did anyone tell them water covers most of the earth’s surface as they proclaim ‘water shortages’?
the real reason they do not want larger volume flushes: they may disappear with such devices given their core makeup and where this core makeup directs they be placed.
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