Almost everything I buy is on my credit card. All my bills, all my food, gas, insurance. Everything except my mortgage payment. I make hundreds a year in rewards points, get great warranty protection on items I purchase, get automatic rental car insurance, and other benefits I can't remember now. I also get to yank my money back from unscrupulous vendors if I need to, instead of hoping they'll return my money. AMEX will go to bat for it's members.
The only thing I have to do is pay the bill in full each month. I can't imagine letting people have access directly to my bank account.
That's not really an option in the US. So to once and for all address your main point:
1. Yes, the US system overall is less than ideal. Banks could take initiative to simplify the system and the consumers probably should demand that they do.
2. American consumers are not somehow more stupid than people elsewhere. Introduce the same incentives elsewhere and people will follow the same pattern. The only reason other countries seem not to get into as much personal debt is mostly because loans are not as widely available and ones that are cost much more. In the US this used to be the case during the majority of the 20th century. Since relatively cheap credit became available, americans started taking advantage of it. This has nothing to do with whether they are smart or stupid.
The only thing I have to do is pay the bill in full each month. I can't imagine letting people have access directly to my bank account.