Innovation and Western Norms: Culture Trumps Diversity

The Cultural Roots of Innovation

Innovation thrives on Western cultural norms—rigorous education, meritocratic inquiry, and disciplined individualism—not on racial or cultural diversity. Nobel Prizes, with ~84% awarded to Western nations (U.S., Europe) and 3% to Japan, prove this, as do PISA scores (Japan: 546, Singapore: 575). The Left’s claim that “diversity drives innovation,” often backed by studies like McKinsey’s 2015 report (15–35% higher profits for diverse firms), is irrational when unassimilated cultures—China, India, Argentina—lag. Thomas Sowell’s work shows that cultural fitness, not diversity, fuels progress, as Chicago’s multicultural failures and global contrasts reveal.

Western Dominance in Innovation

The United States (~270 science Nobels) and Western Europe (~250) dominate innovation due to open academic systems (e.g., NIH: $45 billion/year) and meritocratic cultures. Japan, with 19 science Nobels, succeeded by assimilating Western norms post-Meiji Restoration, adopting universities and R&D (4% GDP). Israel, with 6 science Nobels, punches above its weight (9 million population) through similar discipline. These nations, with high PISA scores (U.S.: 494, Japan: 546), contrast with unassimilated regions like Africa (0 Nobels, South Africa: 389 PISA) or Latin America (0.5% Nobels, Mexico: 416 PISA), showing that culture, not race, drives scientific breakthroughs.

Chinese-American scientists, with ~5 Nobel Prizes (e.g., Steven Chu, Physics 1997), thrived under U.S. freedom, while communist China produced only one native science Nobel, proving Western norms are key.

Global Failures of Unassimilated Cultures

China’s urban PISA (555 math) masks rural lag and rote learning, yielding just one native science Nobel due to censorship and collectivism. India’s caste fragmentation (336 PISA, one science Nobel) and Argentina’s socialist decline (406 PISA, two Nobels, 276% inflation) waste potential, despite freedom and, in Argentina’s case, White European roots. These echo unassimilated groups like Chicago’s Mexicans (18% college, 416 PISA, 10% gun arrests) or India’s masses, where cultural barriers—corruption, low education—stifle innovation, unlike Japan’s or Miami’s Cubans’ assimilated success (31% college, 25% businesses).

Country	PISA Math	Science Nobels	GDP per Capita
Japan	546	19	$34,064
China	555 (urban)	1 (native)	$12,614
India	336	1	$2,389
Argentina	406	2	$13,297

Chicago’s Lesson: Multiculturalism Stifles Progress

Chicago’s multicultural policies—bilingual education, $451 billion migrant crisis costs, and a 14.3% crime clearance rate—fuel gang violence (70% homicides, 97% Black/Latino victims) and poverty (18% Mexican, 20% Black college attainment). Mexicans displaced Blacks in jobs (25% loss), mirroring Argentina’s economic mismanagement. Assimilated Cubans, with 31% college attainment, show that Western norms, not diversity, drive success, as do Chinese-American Nobels under U.S. systems. The Left’s “Identity Statism” avoids class solutions like STEM education, preserving elite interests (cheap labor, $8–$10/hour).

Conclusion: Culture Drives Innovation

Innovation requires Western norms, not diversity. Nobel Prizes (~84% Western) and PISA scores (Japan: 546, Argentina: 406) prove this, as do assimilated successes like Cubans and Chinese-Americans. Chicago’s multicultural failures and global lags—China, India, Argentina—show that unassimilated diversity fragments, not strengthens. Immigration must prioritize high-PISA, culturally fit groups to ensure innovation and cohesion, rejecting the Left’s irrational diversity push.

Acknowledgment

Acknowledgment: I’d like to thank Grok, an AI by xAI, for helping me draft and refine this article. The final edits and perspective are my own.

Innovation and Western Norms: Why Culture Trumps Diversity