The blame does indeed lie closer than we think. That's exactly my point. The problem is that those that are within that region are not recognising this fact unt

The blame does indeed lie closer than we think. That's exactly my point. The problem is that those that are within that region are not recognising this fact until much later in their lives compared to their Western Counterparts. Only when you live in it, breathe it and feel it can you really recognise it's impact. It takes a long time to realise that this is where the problem lies. Not least because no one, and I mean NO ONE is talking about it. They're not talking about it, because they don't KNOW about it. I don't disagree for a second that the only person responsible for their success or lack thereof is that person themselves, but to get to that realisation takes those in the eastern culture much longer. The weight of the emotional baggage is huge. No Eric Ries, Tim Ferriss or any other 'Start-up Celebrity' is even mentioning it, because it's not even on their radar. If there had been a movement such as the Lean Start-Up movement that had addressed this problem, then those in the East would have recognised this issue much sooner and done something about it. We've had to do this all on our own. If you haven't experienced it for yourself personally, then taking a stance such as the above is presumptious - and it's not your statement of the facts that perturbs me, it's your lack of empathy. Edit: Spelling/Grammar