The Rust compiler is an executable created by the Rust compiler.

IIUC though, the Rust compiler executables are highly unusual in that they dynamically link their main top-level dependency. The vast majority of executables built with cargo do not, and I'm not sure how easy it is for a cargo project to do what the compiler does, i.e. build a top-level crate as a DLL and dynamically link that, while using plenty of static linking within that DLL.

And one of the very few, if not the only one, that have to link with LLVM.

That's true, but many of them that use C libraries dynamically link to those libraries, even if it's not LLVM. OpenSSL is classic example.

This entire conversation has managed to diminish my enthusiasm for Rust. =/

You can write C libraries in Rust. The entire operating system could be written in Rust and there would still be be dynamic linking between programs.

What you are complaining about is ABI stability between versions of Rust but you are hiding that by arguing steveklabnik is violating the spirit of your secret ideals.