I think all the outsourcing is one reason for it. Over time, we've outsourced so much, that there's not much left of American products to speak of. America once made the best products in the world. Over time, that's changed due to so much outsourcing. IMO, the outsourcing has happened because we as a society are spoiled rotten. We want it now and we want it cheap, quality be damned.
I see it every day at work. Very few people even opt for the mid grade brake pads. It's always "gimmie the cheapest ones" and why not? The cheapest ones have the same lifetime warranty as the best. We have become a disposable society. When it breaks, just buy another one and throw the old one away. Nobody fixes anything anymore.
When I repair brakes, for example, I like to rebuild the original calipers and wheel cylinders. I don't trust imported metallurgy for brake parts, plus, rebuild kits are cheaper and I'm cheap. Also, one of my most favorite things ever is making old, worn out things good again.
Why though should people buy new wheel cylinders or calipers and go through all that "trouble" when they can buy new wheel cylinders for $9.99 and calipers for $14.99? Nobody wants to fix anything anymore. They want to sit on their asses playin on the internet and wave a magic wand over their car and fix everything. And they want it fixed free.
I get asked every single day "is that the best you can do?" even on a $4.99 can of paint. Ridiculous. We actually get calls asking how much taillight bulbs are. Everybody thinks they deserve somethin for nuthiun or at a huge discount.
