Having grown up in western Europe and moved to the US at age 24, I feel the exact same way. Most products (examples that still strike my mind: home tools, buses

Having grown up in western Europe and moved to the US at age 24, I feel the exact same way. Most products (examples that still strike my mind: home tools, buses, street signs, desk lamps, food, etc) in the States are lower quality than what I would find in Europe. But stuff in the US is also usually less expensive. So I guess it is just an effect of the free market: US buyers preferring lower quality but less expensive products...