Well, there is a basic risk/reward here. If you just do arm curls working one muscle group and you'll be pretty safe but you won't be getting much return on your overall physical health. The deadlift involves your whole body and so you are increasing your surface area or exposure to risk of injury. But that was the whole point of recommending the deadlift in the first place, it works the whole body with one basic movement. And the movement is one of the most basic human movements, to squat down and stand up with a load. There are risky exercises that you should generally avoid. But standing up with a barbell in your hands is a well designed exercise where your body is just doing what it is optimally designed to do. The problem isn't the movement it is ignorance about the body in general and your body's movement in particular.
I think a compromise to your point (e.g. safer alternatives are better than deadlifting) is that advice to do heavy barbell lifts should come with the warning that injury can happen easily and be serious and/or permanent. Proper posture is best learned from someone who is experienced and that you trust your well being to.
I think a compromise to your point (e.g. safer alternatives are better than deadlifting) is that advice to do heavy barbell lifts should come with the warning that injury can happen easily and be serious and/or permanent. Proper posture is best learned from someone who is experienced and that you trust your well being to.