The Italians, the Japanese, the Chinese, the Indians and many other nations have traditions of exquisite craftsmanship that go back hundreds and thousands of years. Primarily, the reason they get the reputation of making cr*p is because that's what their consumers want: cheap stuff. They can make cr*p if cr*p is what it takes to get their economies on a competitive footing in modern manufacturing. Look what's happened with China since Nixon opened the floodgates...