It's just a different approach with different tradeoffs. Credit cards push the fraud risk and fees on the merchant. Crypto can push it to the user (and in the process reduce the fees incurred).

I would be happy to have a way to pay merchants I trust online with and remove the ability to reverse the charge if I was financially incentivized to do this (with the money the merchant saves on fees).

The ability to reverse a charge isn't just about helping you if you are cheated by a merchant, though. It is also about if your credentials are compromised and used by someone else.

Sure, you might be happy to give up your ability to get a chargebacks against a particular merchant.... but what about against a thief?

It's a tradeoff - in a number of cases, I would be willing to accept that risk. I already do with cash.

Sure, but the more articles like this I read about crypto, the more it sounds like carrying cash at 3am in the worst part of town....

Mine doesnt. I can only block my card and sue. No chargebacks possible. For me any crypto is basically just as good, yet even more secure.

Or get a different credit card?

What about when someone creates a loan in your name or steals your tax refund or your real estate down payment?

You can remedy all of those things in the current system.