Sorry it's taken so long to comment on this very interesting post . . . I read both articles this morning with glee and horror.
In the late 80's/early 90's, Japanese Educators (the trendy ones) were discussing a similar concept in light of their traditional educational methods. Their belief was that the Japanese focus on group-focused, shame-based activities resulted in workers who could perfect and exploit others' ideas, but who were still vulnerable to the traps of poli-socio brainwashing because they lacked the innovation and creativity that came from promoting individual merit . . .
Pastilla! Just mentioning Japan in that era makes me miss my most favorite magazine of all time, Mangajin. I subscribed from issue 2 (the first I'd seen) to the last issue. I was heartbroken when they ceased publication.
It was like having a friend walking me through colloquial Japanese.
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