> What problems is it solving that require the confusion that it generates?

I think I answered that already. It keeps the language spec consistent and simpler.

Imagine the complexity you have to add to the language spec to say that when we write [] we deal with the reference to this list except in the multiplication syntax a = [[]] * 5 where the inner [] is not a reference to the list but the list value! Such special case will make the language both inconsistent and harder to understand for experienced programmers.