It's not necessarily that simple. For one thing, if you need a mortgage to buy a house to live in, your credit rating is a huge factor in determining how much interest you pay. If you close all your credit cards, your credit rating goes down, way down. In addition, insurance companies and employers rely on credit ratings.
I am not saying that everyone who works for a credit card company is evil. Some credit card users are also irresponsible. Dave Ramsey said, While I think it would be unfair to think of the people employed in credit card companies as "snakes", I think that consumers would do well to think of credit cards as something that can bite them.
It’s safe to say the credit card companies are out of control, and those who abuse the system from the other end are also out of control.
I will say that some people who get into trouble do so without realize they are doing so. They experience a divorce or some other negative event, and have little choice but to pay off loans in a very slow manner, or simply declare bankruptcy.
If people are trying, I respect that.
I agree that it isn’t as simple as cutting up credit cards either. Like you say, you do need credit accounts open to achieve a credit history.