"Midget mentality" here is more like it. "Make it cheap so I can make lots of profit on it and still sell it cheap!" is the business model. Those overseas factories can produce goods to any quality level the U.S. buyer wants. If the U.S. businessman wants top quality and enforces quality control (and pays a fair price) he will get a top quality product. It starts with us, the end user. If we send back the shoddy merchandise and demand a refund and don't buy anything more from that dealer PLUS are willing to pay more for quality, someone may get the message. No demand, no supply (of junk). I have a 1947 flat rate manual which also gives parts prices. A 1947 V8 fuel pump diaphragm and rod assembly (68-9398) had a Ford list price of $.050 (fifty cents). Jsut guessing here , but if average wage was $1 an hour, you worked 1/2 hour for that diaphragm. Today, figuring wages at $20 an hour with Joblot selling diaphragms for $4.50, you work only 1/4 hour for it. You could pay double for a high quality one. Question is , would you?!