I don't think MCP is a bad idea, but using them incorrectly is.

CLI tools are great if you always use the same environment. But try using them from your iPhone, and they simply won't work; a remote MCP will work seamlessly.

HTTP APIs solve a different problem. APIs are designed to be predictable and consistent, so the client always knows the response shape in advance. The MCPs are designed to be dynamically discovered. This lets agents connect to new and unknown ones.

Trying to give APIs extra responsibilities so they can replace MCPs would just create more confusion. It's like creating an MCP server but calling it an API.