I take it the argument is that the Rust standard library isn't "batteries included" enough causing dependency churn. Yes, it can be annoying but the alternative

I take it the argument is that the Rust standard library isn't "batteries included" enough causing dependency churn. Yes, it can be annoying but the alternative is baking something into the standard library that turns out to be poorly designed and then you still have to be "in the know" for which library to use to avoid that. I think the idea of keeping the std library small is the best choice over the long run.