I don't know that I would call them fickle. Real wage growth hasn't happened (effectively) in at least 40 years. Of course people are going to be sensitive to price increases especially if the price increases faster than people's wages increase.
Yes, it lies chiefly on our government and regulatory authorities.
Governments exist to maintain a commons in the tragedy of the commons.
The market, as well as societal trust, is a commons. People in power make individuals responsible for the commons, which creates a collective action problem, which creates a structural incapability of addressing what is best for everyone, such as being able to trust merchants.