Rand is right in principle (if they tell you what to buy they have by definition taken away your ability to make a choice) He's actually reciting the values of the libertarians. They believe that any individual can exercise his personal liberty to do what he wants, in his best interest, as long as it does not take away the liberty of another person. By taking choice away, they have taken a way freedom. In the libertarian universe, murder is the ultimate sin because it takes away the individuals ultimate liberty, one's life.

I think most of the kinks have been worked out with the toilets he's complaining about. they didn't provide enough water to move solids and clogged older pipes but now they do. I had a problem with them initially and the plumber knew what to do. Now I use a kohler electric toilet and the problem is solved. Now for the light bulbs.... kind of a mess right now but it will hopefully get better. I have CFLs in my house that are arcing out switches, failing early and I need a haz mat suit to clean up a broken one. My wife hates the light also. I don't. Let's just pray for cheaper LEDs. I know it will get better and since in most of the country electricity is not made via sustainable sources like hydroelectric, I can see this being a good thing for everyone eventually by lowering carbon footprints. I am just cheap and like the idea of paying less for my electricity bill.

try not to confuse the term free market (the economy we live and work in, under guidelines and regulations, where we choose what we make and who we sell it to, not the government) with some kind of free for all market condition where everybody can do what they want without regulation. That seems to be the root of this threads miscommunication. That free market world would not work well for anyone and Todd would rant hard in all caps, all the time.