...get pi$$ed off when people say that bolt ons are "just kit guitars" and shouldn't cost half of what people charge?
YMMV, but IMHO if you've ever held, let alone play a good quality strat or tele, and a cheapo one, you can tell the difference, and it's not all about the parts being well made and thrown in a bin, only to be picked up and assembled together. There's a lot of craftsmanship going on and a good strat is a state of the art guitar, to this very day.
The fact that the neck is screwed on, not glued, is entirely irrelevant (if not an advantage regarding setup and repair situations) to the overall quality of the guitar.