I think it's important to consider other points of view thoughtfully, and question your base assumptions. Sometimes, constructive and argumentative discussion can help with that, assuming both parties are informed and respectful.
Now, how often have you seen a disagreement in the comments section where both parties are informed, respectful, and working constructively to really understand the underlying issues?
Sometimes, it's best to just walk away, and blocklists are an excellent way to do so.
Steam's business model does prevent it from pricing its consoles like Sony, Xbox, Nintendo, etc. since they need the console itself to be profitable, not just a means of bringing in games sales.
It's plausible that they're taking into account an uptick in overall game sales from this console - at least for me, I've been purchasing new games mostly off of steam rather than playstation/nintendo ever since I got a steamdeck - but you're right that they aren't going to sell at a loss.
Regardless of the price (and whether or not I even buy one), I think it's healthy to have another "big" player in the console market.