Build and dependency management is the worst part of the javascript ecosystem. Other languages do this much better. We're not against build tools for javascript. We're against bad ones.
I'm only against adding a build tool when it's a small project that shouldn't require that complexity. I've seen projects where maintaining the build setup was more work than maintaining the code.
Yes, I've seen that too and it's a testament to how bad the ecosystem is.
However, the kinds of problems that existed in 2015 thanks to detracting tools like WebPack and Babel don't really exist now with the fact that browsers support ES modules and Node is dragging its heels but now mostly supports ES modules.
With things like typescript and vite I now never have the problems that used to be common. In fact when I see people creating brand new projects in 2023 using WebPack I cry a little in side.
At some point having a bad tooling experience can't be solely blamed on the tools. It's a choice.
