Careful with the quick judgments. Credit cards are not popular in many parts of Europe, so it's no big deal. I don't have one, for example, despite being in the top 10% income bracket in my country.
In America, our debit cards are rigged so they work just like credit cards. This gives you some extra protections, delays when they draw from your bank account, (theoretically) gives you the protections of the merchant's agreement, and for many banks you get some sort of cash-back benefit from it.
You can also pay with PIN if you want. That makes it post to your bank account quicker, which is nice if you keep track of your online banking.
debit cards have less protection than credit, not more. I'd suggest looking at your contract with the bank and seeing where you are responsible for charges to your card.
I'm not sure what you're saying or how it's relevant. I'm comparing separate ways to use an American debit card. I'm not comparing either use case with using an actual credit card (which I concede has even more protections).
