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Comment by andsoitis | Hacker News Reader

> Nope, i'm saying that humans are political beings, as aristoteles defined it, and any human action is by itself political.

Aristotle said politics is the study of how communities can achieve “the good life” through governance and organization. He said we are political animals (zoon politikon) who naturally form communities, such as the polis (city-state), to achieve common goals and virtue.

The idea that any human action is political cannot be attributed to Aristotle. It is also a silly and amateur assertion — to breathe is not political, to think is not political, to eat is not political, etc.

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Well, that depends on what you eat. Do you eat meat, or are you vegan?

Breathing is a physical action, so there isn’t much to debate there. However, even some physical actions—like using the bathroom—can have political or cultural dimensions. For instance, why do you use a toilet instead of a bidet, as is common in parts of Europe or South America? That choice is shaped by cultural and economic factors that influence your behavior.

> For instance, why do you use a toilet instead of a bidet,

Because my bathroom is too small to house a bidet.

Also, a bidet and toilet don’t serve the same purpose so your example is a false choice.

> Well, that depends on what you eat. Do you eat meat, or are you vegan?

The choice of what to eat can reflect or engage with political and social systems, but it isn’t a political act. It is a personal act. And “to eat” is also not a political act.

Japan solved the problem under the constraints of no room for a bidet. You can put a Japanese style shower toilet seat on almost any toilet. Mainly the size of the bowl (front-to-back dimension) has to be suitable so that the front loop of the seat sits aligned with the porcelain.

Thank you. I'm well aware of the innovation in bidet and toilet technologies to assist in more hygienic defecation routines and the different environmental impact such as less toilet paper, different energy considerations, plastics, water usage, etc.

is your bathroom too small because you don't make enough money for a larger bathroom? is it because of government regulations regarding habitations? why are you living in that location? what circumstances led you to make that decision? ie, even the size of your bathroom has its own politics in the sense that it contains a history of decision making and power dynamics.

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