This is a case where each system has it's pluses and minuses and one'e decision comes down to their particular riding needs.
My Expedition bike ran it's stock Kuwahara / Tange bottom bracket for over 30,000 km and was used in the nastiest conditions and serviced regularly... retired it because I changed my cranks and needed a different spindle and the old bottom bracket is still in fine shape.
The replacement was an NOS Shimano LX cup and cone which is ridiculously smooth and very well made.
Still use cup and cone bottom brackets on many of my bikes and they keep running smoothly day in and day out, year in and year out but they are a little more work to maintain.
Cartridge bottom brackets are often not as smooth but for an economical and trouble free set up there is nothing better... when anyone says a part lasts decades that is meaningless... if you don't use something it will last forever and mileage and the conditions under which you ride are a better gauge of how durable a part is.
External bottom brackets provide better bearing support and stiffer spindles... some are easily contaminated and get noisy but they are very easy to service.
If one was touring in the nether regions I would not go with an external bottom bracket and their matching cranks... a square taper bottom bracket and cranks can be serviiced / replaced almost anywhere and they can stand up to some serious use and abuse... a Shimano UN54 costs about 20.00 and will deliver many thousands of kim of trouble free service... I seem to kill them after 15 - 20 thousand kilometers.