In 2002, U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell famously warned President George W. Bush of the burden his administration would bear if it overthrew Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. His caution became known as the Pottery Barn rule: “You break it, you own it.” It didn’t matter that a spokesperson for the housewares store insisted that when a shopper damaged merchandise, they were not asked to pay for it. The rule had more resonance in foreign policy than in retail and would be invoked for years to