>This was brought nowhere better to the front than in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nbv9L-WIu0s where they showed that the tools written because gnu tools were too big when measured in a running computer take up just as many resources.

At what time in the video does that happen? I didn't have time to watch the whole thing, but it doesn't appear that what you are suggesting was even brought up much less demonstrated?