Here's a take worth unpacking: when iRobot's acquisition fell through, was it really the FTC's fault? One analyst argues it wasn't. But that framing misses the actual problem. The real issue isn't whether regulators deserve blame—it's what economists and financiers get wrong about how markets actually work. They treat iRobot's collapse as some external shock, when actually it's the logical endpoint of the company's own strategy. Maximizing shareholder returns above all else, cutting corners, betting on scale—these aren't bugs in capitalism, they're features. When companies pursue infinite growth at any cost, regulatory friction becomes inevitable. The question isn't whether the FTC should have blocked the deal. It's whether an economic system built entirely on profit maximization can sustain healthy businesses long-term. That's the uncomfortable conversation most financial models deliberately avoid.