Summary
Vivek Ramaswamy criticized American culture for prioritizing “normalcy” over excellence, which leads tech companies hiring foreign-born workers over Americans.
In a post on X, he argued that U.S. culture celebrates mediocrity and undervalues nerdiness, hard work, and academic achievement.
His comments sparked backlash across the political spectrum, with critics labeling him out of touch with American culture.
The controversy may jeopardize his standing in the Trump administration.
I’d definitely say that Americans value hard work. To the point of their own detriment. I’d also say they often strive for excellence in product making, but it rarely comes out excellent. When comparing product quality between Europe and the US, Europe almost always comes out ahead. Plus, Europeans value a good balance between work and life. That’s true excellence in my book. The US seems to mostly survive on size and quantity rather than quality.