Is it just that I'm not used to it, or is it really bad and stupid?
I prefer the old way, when the 1040 had 79 lines, and you were able to see which credits are showing up, which adjustments to income there are, ect... and after that, if you wanted, you were able to see more details in the attached forms. (For example the credit for child and dependent care expenses -form 2441- showed up on line 49 of the 1040 with an amount, and then you were also able to see an attached 2441 for more details.)
Now, all those credits and adjustments still exist, but instead on seeing on the 1040 what credits you might have, it just says add here all amounts from schedule 2, 3 ect.. You have no idea from seeing the simple one-page 1040, what credits are taking place, whether it might be a 2141 credit, or an education credit, or an retirement contributions credit, ect, whether you have one credit or 5 credits from the same sheet..
I understand doing a whole tax code overhaul, but why mess with the 2 page 1040? In the 1980's and 90's people might have liked putting your taxes on a POSTCARD, but today, nearly all do it on a computer. So why truncate it all, to pretend it fits on a postcard?