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It doesn't take a whiz in theoretical physics to be able to tell you why the conflict between QM and Classical Physics occurs, Craig. That quoted bit in your reply hits the nail on the head. It's all to do with making an impression upon a generally clueless audience....the wider population. From what little they do know, they see a conflict between QM and Classical Physics...even though most couldn't tell the difference between the two. However, they do know that, on the surface of things, there appears to be a big difference between the two. You have to admit, one seems to be concerned with a nice, ordered, fairly easy to understand view of things (Classical), whilst the other just doesn't make any common sense at all (Quantum) and is completely weird. In the public's mind, they just don't meet anywhere in the middle. And so, the scientists sort of promote this themselves....it makes physics "more exciting", more "real". Plus, it helps sell books (in Lee's case) and promotes other things like TV programs etc.
Like you said, once you care to really take a closer look at it, it's nothing more than smoke and mirrors where the physics is concerned. But most people wouldn't even bother to do that, so they go with what they know. They know the science is "sexy" these days, but in reality if they knew it was actually a case of long hours of brain wracking, hard slog with very few moments of enlightenment thrown in here and there, they'd completely lose interest in the subject altogether and physicists would be back to being weird geeks in lab coats (which many still think physicists are).
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