Cultural Excellence: American Meritocracy Outshines Asia

Why Culture Shapes America’s Success

You’ve heard the saying: all cultures are equal. It’s a popular idea, pushed by activists and big corporations, suggesting every culture contributes the same to progress. But this doesn’t hold up when you look at the facts. Culture—how people think, work, and innovate—makes a huge difference in outcomes. American culture, built on rewarding hard work, encouraging bold ideas, and valuing individual freedom, has made the United States the world’s leader in science, technology, and innovation. Yet, this strength is at risk. Corporations, backed by political agendas, are using the “all cultures are equal” myth to replace American workers with cheaper labor from countries like India and China, whose systems often produce less creative, more rigid workers. This page dives into why American culture stands above, how it fuels success, and why we must protect it to keep good jobs, fair wages, and America’s global edge.

The Myth That All Cultures Are Equal

The notion that every culture is equally valuable is a cornerstone of modern diversity campaigns, often promoted by universities, activists, and tech giants like Google and Microsoft. They argue that workers from any background can fill America’s science and tech (STEM) jobs, pointing to programs like H-1B visas, which bring in 85,000 foreign workers each year, 70% from India. Companies claim there aren’t enough American workers to meet demand, and foreign talent brings fresh perspectives that boost innovation.

But the evidence paints a different picture. Cultures aren’t interchangeable—they shape how people learn, solve problems, and create. American culture, with its focus on rewarding merit, fostering creativity, and encouraging independent thinking, has produced nearly 270 Nobel Prizes in science and economics, along with tech giants like Apple and Amazon. India, despite its 1.4 billion people, has only one science Nobel (from 1930) and ranks low on global education tests (336 in math vs. America’s 465). China, also with 1.4 billion, has just one science Nobel for work done within its borders, relying on copying American technology to compete. These gaps aren’t about race—they’re about cultural norms that determine success.

Big corporations profit from this myth by hiring foreign workers at lower wages—often 20% less than American salaries—while claiming there’s a shortage of local talent. This depresses wages for American workers and pushes them out of tech jobs, even though the US has more than enough skilled professionals. The “equal cultures” idea also serves a deeper goal: to replace America’s dynamic, merit-driven culture with rigid, less innovative systems from Asia, turning highly skilled workers into “worker bees” who follow orders instead of inventing the next big thing.

American Culture: A Recipe for Excellence

American culture is exceptional because it’s built on three powerful ingredients: meritocracy, creativity, and individualism. These values, inspired by historical traditions like Scotland’s Enlightenment, which achieved 75% literacy by 1800, have made the US a global leader in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).

Meritocracy: In America, you succeed based on what you do, not who you know or where you come from. This system rewards talent and effort, creating a competitive edge seen in places like Estonia, which produces 10 billion-dollar tech companies, or “unicorns,” at a rate of 7.7 per million people (vs. 1.98 in the US). American workers shine in environments where results are king.

Creativity: American culture encourages asking questions and trying new things, leading to world-changing inventions like the internet, smartphones, and mRNA vaccines. The US has won nearly 270 Nobel Prizes, far more than any other nation, because it values bold, original ideas over memorized facts.

Individualism: Americans are free to take risks, challenge bosses, and think for themselves. This freedom has sparked companies like Tesla and Amazon, setting the US apart from cultures that demand strict obedience or conformity.

These traits make American culture a recipe for excellence, producing more wealth, innovation, and opportunity than systems that rely on rote learning or top-down control, like those in India and China.

American Workers: Powering STEM Leadership

American workers, especially US Whites and Asians, are the heart of the nation’s STEM success, fully embracing the culture of merit and creativity. Their achievements show there’s no need to import foreign workers—America has talent to spare.

US Whites: Deeply rooted in America’s merit-based system, Whites score around 505–510 on global math tests, reflecting a culture that values hard work and problem-solving. They contribute nearly 30% of the 148,000 engineering degrees awarded yearly in the US, driving companies like Microsoft and Boeing. Yet, many are pushed out of tech jobs by cheaper foreign hires, even though 11.4 million STEM-educated Americans work outside the field—not because they lack skills, but because jobs are given to lower-paid imports.

US Asians: Combining a strong work ethic with American creativity, Asians score ~550–560 on global math tests, surpassing China’s 531. They make up 70% of STEM graduates, earning high salaries ($120,000 for engineers) and leading firms like Nvidia. Their success proves that adopting American values unlocks world-class innovation.

The US produces far more STEM graduates than needed—148,000 engineering degrees for just 127,000 new jobs over a decade. Recent tech layoffs (12,000 at Google, 3,900 at IBM in 2023–2024) and stagnant wages ($120,000 since 2000) show there’s no shortage, only a corporate push to hire cheaper foreign workers who often bring less creative, more rigid approaches.

India’s Cultural Limits: Rote Learning and Favoritism

Indian tech firms like Infosys and TCS are often hailed as global talent hubs, but their cultural norms—focused on memorization and favoritism—don’t measure up to American standards, producing workers who struggle to innovate.

Biased Hiring: These companies favor Indian workers, filling 90% of their US jobs with them, even when American candidates are qualified, as shown in lawsuits from 2018–2020. The Department of Justice fined TCS $940,000 in 2020 for this discrimination. Online discussions (X, 2024) highlight how some Indian managers hire based on caste or connections, clashing with America’s fair, merit-based system, like the open competition seen in Estonia’s tech scene.

Rote Learning: India’s education system, scoring 336 in math on global tests, relies heavily on memorizing facts over solving problems creatively. Only 5% of its workforce is skilled, and a 2017 study found 98% of Indian engineers couldn’t pass basic coding tests. American employers often report these workers need significant retraining, lacking the flexibility to tackle cutting-edge tech challenges.

Lack of Innovation: India’s culture, shaped by rigid traditions and hierarchies, has produced just one science Nobel Prize (C.V. Raman, 1930), compared to America’s nearly 270. This gap shows a system that values following instructions over inventing new solutions, unlike the dynamic culture of US Whites and Asians.

Bringing in Indian workers through H-1B visas—often at 20% lower wages—replaces American talent with less innovative labor, threatening the meritocracy that powers US tech leadership.

China’s Cultural Barriers: Control and Copying

Chinese firms like Huawei operate in the US, but their cultural norms—strict control and conformity—hinder innovation, forcing them to copy American technology to keep up.

Rigid Hierarchy: China’s culture demands long hours (9 AM–9 PM, 6 days) and obedience, as seen in employee reviews of firms like ByteDance (2022). This clashes with America’s independent, creative spirit, causing friction with US workers who value freedom over rigid rules.

Tech Theft: Lacking enough original ideas, China resorts to stealing—hacking Google in 2010 or taking trade secrets from Micron, costing $8.7 billion in damages in 2018. The FBI reports 80% of intellectual property theft cases involve China, a clear sign of cultural weakness, not strength.

Innovation Gap: China’s education system, scoring 531 in math on global tests, focuses on test-taking over creative thinking, producing only one science Nobel Prize for work within its borders (Tu Youyou, 2015, for a malaria treatment). This contrasts with America’s nearly 270 Nobels, driven by open, questioning minds.

Allowing Chinese firms to bring their rigid norms to the US risks undermining America’s creative edge, replacing dynamic workers with those trained to follow orders instead of leading breakthroughs.

The Nobel Prize Gap: America’s Creative Edge

The Nobel Prize record is a powerful measure of innovation, and it shows America’s cultural strength in stark relief. The US has won nearly 270 Nobels in science and economics, reflecting a culture that rewards bold, original thinking. India, with 1.4 billion people, has just one science Nobel (1930), and China has only one for work done within its borders (2015). This gap isn’t random—it’s about culture.

Recent discussions have clarified China’s Nobel record. Only one scientist, Tu Youyou, won a science Nobel (2015, Physiology or Medicine) for work done in mainland China, discovering a malaria treatment in Beijing. Other Chinese-born winners, like Chen Ning Yang and Tsung-Dao Lee (1957, Physics), did their work in the US and were citizens of Taiwan (Republic of China), not the PRC, which is a separate entity. Similarly, ethnic Chinese scientists winning at places like MIT reflect American culture’s meritocracy, not China’s system. Online analysts (X, 2024) note that China’s single science Nobel, despite its massive population, stems from a culture of rigid control and test-focused learning that stifles creativity.

India’s lone science Nobel, awarded nearly a century ago, points to similar issues—education systems that prioritize memorizing answers over asking new questions. In contrast, American culture, embraced by US Whites and Asians, encourages risk-taking and challenging the status quo, driving discoveries that shape the modern world. This creative edge is why America dominates Nobels and tech, and why its culture is unmatched.

Protecting American Jobs: A Smarter Way Forward

America doesn’t need to import workers—it has more than enough talent right here. A smarter approach to immigration, guided by global education rankings, can protect American jobs and culture by favoring those who share our merit-based values.

Build on Strength: US Whites (~505–510 on global math tests) and Asians (~550–560) excel in STEM, producing more graduates than jobs require—148,000 engineering degrees for just 127,000 new jobs over a decade. Countries like Estonia, with similar merit-driven systems, show how focusing on talent drives success, producing 10 tech unicorns at a high rate.

Avoid Weak Systems: Indian workers, limited by rote learning, and Chinese workers, shaped by strict hierarchies, bring approaches that don’t match America’s creative spark. Their single science Nobels and reliance on copying (China) or repetitive tasks (India) show they contribute less to innovation.

Invest in Americans: With 11.4 million STEM-educated Americans working outside tech due to foreign competition, training and hiring locally is smarter than importing labor. High-paying trades like plumbing ($102,000) also offer great careers, putting results over fancy degrees.

Economist Thomas Sowell points out that cultures matter—Singapore’s merit-based system far outpaces others nearby. By prioritizing workers who embrace American values, we protect wages, jobs, and the culture that keeps America ahead.

Conclusion: Standing Up for America’s Cultural Edge

The claim that all cultures are equal is a myth, pushed by corporations and activists who profit from cheaper labor at the expense of American workers. American culture—meritocracy, creativity, individualism—drives unmatched success in science and technology, powered by US Whites and Asians who produce more talent than needed. India’s rote learning and China’s rigid control fall far short, as shown by their single science Nobel Prizes each, compared to America’s nearly 270. China’s lone science Nobel, won in 2015 for work in Beijing, and its reliance on stealing US tech highlight a culture that struggles to innovate. Indian firms’ biased hiring and China’s top-down norms bring less creative “worker bees” to the US, depressing wages and threatening the meritocracy that built Silicon Valley. By rejecting this myth and focusing on American talent through smart immigration policies, we can defend our jobs, wages, and the cultural edge that makes America the world’s leader. Let’s protect what works and keep America first.

Cultural Excellence: Why American Meritocracy Outshines Asian Norms