One of the biggest misconceptions normal people have is that "more regulation" harms major businesses and helps consumers...but in reality it just makes the bar for competition higher and lets those existing businesses charge higher prices over time (via less competition).

Here's a great example of regulatory capture causing price increases in HVAC via "green" regs (created by o3): A timeline chart that overlays HVAC equipment prices with U.S. refrigerant‑policies (R‑22 phaseout, AIM Act HFC phasedown, Kigali ratification, and 2025 A2L transition).

If you ask "why is stuff so expensive for Americans" I can guarantee you a majority of the time it's gov't regs driving up prices and reducing competition.