If you cannot pay off debts, then do not incur the debt
Agreed. Live within your means.
I wonder what sort of social/economic structure this.person would prefer, instead of what we have now.
Young people have learned that lesson well; they have no children, mortgages, and increasingly, no student loans. That is why our schools are trafficking students here (more than the many they trafficked 20+ years ago when I was in school). It has been a rough learning curve, but a lot of young people are seeing how dim their economic future is, and adjusting their behavior accordingly.