Diamondback Edgewood - An Example of Everything Wrong with Department Store Bikes? 

hot take suspension posts are actually really nice even on a cheap bike like this.

There's no real profit in bikes that last "forever." Companies have done the math and determined the best cost/retail price point analyses and popular mass market spec demands. The goal is to keep the consumer buying a new product every few years. It's pretty much the same business model in most consumer goods today; ie cars, appliances, electronics, etc.

I just got one someone threw away, he said it’s been in his yard a few years lol he said he paid a thousand dollars ! I’ll try n sell it for ummmm 50$ ? Wat you guys think , it’s rusty , one brake cable is super rusted

Bike makers are going to make what people want, or think they want. Oooh, suspension, wheeeee!! Never mind if it's actually any good or not.

I would say you are overblowing it little. Those bikes are for people who are not riding bike a lot of. And truth is that most of them will buy it, ride it few times and put it away. And most of the time will be left on the outside. So after one season they look how they look. During pandemic bike prices went through the roof. And now most of bikes bought during pandemic are either on marketplace or are rotting behind house. So those cheap bikes are perfect for whom they are. Someone who is into recreational biking will probably step into something better.

These types of bikes are built low info non cyclists and they see the extras and figure they are getting a good deal. These are created with a short life in mind, which kind of sucks.