I really thought I had no more to say on this subject until you mentioned the FTC (Federal Trade Commission).
I have a friend who works for the FTC, and among his many responsibilities there, he enforces the rules on amplifier power ratings and other audio related stuff. Generally this is very low priority stuff for the FTC, as there is plenty of competition, with a wide variety of products for sale, no monopolies, and no serious cases of consumer fraud. They are much more concerned with identity theft and internet fraud.
I asked him why the FTC ignores the audio cable industry and he smiled, winked

and said, "We don't go there, and you shouldn't either."