ultimately the really scary thing is that there must be people out there who are accepting these offers or they wouldn't keep sending them.
Short-term thinking. That's a big problem in this world and those people get to vote too. Our environment is doomed and humanity is getting dumber still. Bah.
Loans are bad. With examples like yours, there is no reason anyone should ever fall into that trap. Seems pretty extreme in the US of A! In the Netherlands, there are plenty of loans available aswell, but the only acceptable ones are student loans and mortgages. I paid off my student loans as quickly as I could, because I don't like being in debt. I have a mortgage though, because the alternative: renting, is the lesser choice. We do try to pay this debt off faster aswell, but for home owners, it's a balance between paying off that debt and keeping enough in case something breaks down (or you need a new roof).
I know that here, there is a good social safety net, so people with no prospects still don't have to fall into a debt trap. They just have to know how to navigate the system and find the options available to them, which can be tough. I guess the Netherlands do a good job in the safety nets regard. I doubt it's like that in the US. I guess the best thing to do when in that trap is to find help from someone who's able to see the bigger picture. Look beyond just that next bill.