Seat size and leg space can be pretty limited, but I’ve never encountered anything completely unacceptable in my many times flying.

Tell me you're under six feet tall without telling me you're under six feet tall.

The headrests don't hit my head, my knees are jammed into the seat in front of me, the tray table sits directly on my thighs, and if I get a leg cramp I just have to sit there in pain because I can't straighten my legs or stand up straight in the cabin. But the good news is I can see everything everyone in front of me is doing on their screens.

Honestly I'd be happier in a coffin in the cargo hold.

You're right but wrong about how comfortable flying used to be.
Flying used to be heavily regulated and was heavily subsidized by air mail contracts. Aircraft were roomier and much more comfortable. After some trust and monopoly busting, and deregulation, the loss of air mail contracts, then share holders took more control.
Then over the years prices have declined, leg room has declined, comfort has declined, passengers are now treated like sardines, being flight crew used to be a glamorous, sought-after job. We still romanticize PanAm. Now AA attendants are looking to strike because they're making poverty wages.
You can find stories of nightmare passengers and crews from all over the world if you look, but Americans are going to hear American news. I studied aeronautics and aviation in college. Hard to explain more from my phone while I'm pooping, but yes, flying used to be a MUCH better experience for all involved.

Back in the 70’s ….

Were you there? Maybe I’m looking back with rose colored glasses and with my parents taking care of all the details, but yes, flying cut rate People’s Express was a much more luxurious flight than pretty much all the “normal” airlines now. There was elbow and leg room (yes, I was almost fully grown), window passengers could see out the windows, plenty of overhead bin space and included checked bags, not overcrowded as hell, a family could get seats together without paying tons extra, much easier process dealing with security and paperwork, flight attendants that could smile and even give you the full can of soda if you were thirsty, you didn’t have to get to the airport so far ahead, you could bring your own toiletries and didn’t have to take off shoes or belts. Yes, flying even the cheapest carrier then was much better than full priced now. There’s reasons we didn’t have as many loonies

Americans. We fucking suck. Planes are the same all over the world, and yet America has the lion's share of the nightmare passenger stories, because we have an attitude problem.

I don't really believe this is true. I mean we Americans do suck for other reasons, but I think the reason we have more bad plane stories is because we have to fly more. You can take trains across most of Europe, but passenger trains suck in the US, and it doesn't seem like either side of the political isle is really interested in fixing it.

From the stories online, EU has similar race to the bottom) airlines, like Ryan Air, but maybe the difference is having a national carrier that you can take pride in. In the US, pretty much all airlines are “race to the bottom” cattle cars, and the only question is whether you want a bad carrier or a worse one. Can I have British Air or Iceland Air, or Emirates Air, please?