I don't think you understand the market the A32x and the 737 are in. They are planes flown by carriers who want to keep costs low. The MAX was designed the way it was because the airlines wanted more of the same with minimal retraining and support retooling. Boeing had originally proposed and may still pursue a carbon-fiber redesign of the 737 incorporating more of the lessons learned from the 787, but for now the airlines wanted and got a progressive improvement on the 737.

The MCAS system was designed as a response to FAA requirements and directives based on a concern about performance at the edge of the flight envelope. Since as we see it now (the public does not have enough information to conclude on how well the design process went except in the result) it was designed poorly and improvements are being made.

Once those improvements are made I expect the MAX to be, at that point a safer aircraft than the 737 NG. Its unfortunate that so many people had to die before the issue was identified, maybe congress should provide more funding for aviation safety enforcement and research at the FAA, NTSB and NASA.