It's because of comments like this that it's almost impossible to have a critical conversation about culture. The parent comment is describing a cultural trope

It's because of comments like this that it's almost impossible to have a critical conversation about culture. The parent comment is describing a cultural trope that frames the way people behave in that part of the world. There is a lot of pressure to work towards making money. That doesn't mean 100% of people are necessarily following the priorities set out by their society but it does mean that it makes a maker culture much more difficult there. It's inherently counter-cultural.