On The Decline Of Quality

The quality of something in particular indicates the essence of that thing. That trait or characteristic that describes something's degree of excellence is that thing's quality. Unlike quantity, quality is very subjective. What one may find pleasant another may find distasteful. This makes any concrete conclusions difficult, if not impossible. But nevertheless, I believe that the quality of various products and services has gone down.
As a New Yorker, I know that the pizza and bagels of my city were renowned. They may still be. But if so, they are riding on a reputation that can no longer be substantiated. It used to be simple to get a good slice or bagel. The nearest pizzeria or bagel store would live up to New York standards. This is no longer the case, and hasn't been for at least the past 10 years. The quality of these products has declined, and one must now search and ask for recommendations.
But this is not about pizza or bagels (or even pizza bagels). It is about quality in general. Houses are constantly being built, but certainly not with the same work ethic as that of the past. If you ever chance to enter an old house, knock on the wall. You can hear and feel the solid structure of the wall. This is not how things are done today. If I punched a wall in an old house, I would hurt my hand. If I punched a wall in a house built last year, my fist would go through the wall.
Quality may be subjective, but solid versus hollow is no contest. This same method is now applied to bathtubs as well. Bathtubs of solid marble have been replaced by ones made of hollow aluminum. The concrete used for construction has become more and more diluted with sand. In fact, a friend of a friend wanted a house built and specified for the concrete to contain two parts concrete and only one part sand. When explaining to the contractors that he would pay whatever it costs, several replied that it could be done. But a problem occurred when the contract was to be signed. There was a clause included stating that if the concrete was found to be more sand than concrete, he could get out of the deal. No contractor would sign it.
The quality of appliances, kitchen equipment, and even silverware has gone down. Everything is made as cheaply and quickly as possible. The subway system has become a joke. Even clothing has become less durable. I bought a pair of shoes about a year ago for approximately $100 and one month later, the sole was becoming detatched from the front of the shoe! I couldn't believe it.
Everything is going down the tubes, and all we can do is sit and watch. It is really annoying me, and I had to vent. Maybe we should start learning to make everything for ourselves. It may seem like a step back in time, but if the quality of things is regained it might be worth it.