Well, yeah, the article is in a business magazine.
But that doesn’t mean the philosophy only pertains or is espoused for financial success. It could be for someone wanting to get married and start a family, or, given this particular publication, someone looking to build a ‘lifestyle’ business, rather than a megamillion earner.
His list is simply suggested as possible reasons that one might not be succeeding with one’s business as wished.
I’m sorry you’re so jaded as to think this grand ol’ US of A, however challenged it might be right now, is not still a land of opportunity.
I think the biggest beef I have against the progressives is that they are collectively allowing this decline to happen. Indeed, some seem to be positively encouraging it. You hear it in phrases like "what gives us the right?" and "America cannot dictate to the rest of the world". There is a measure of self-hatred there that I think is really rather sad. And that self-doubt is largely self fulfilling. Your country cannot be great if you continually go around thinking and saying that it isn't.
Now ok, the US is not as pre-eminent in the world as it was even 5-10 years back, but that's largely due to the rise of other nations, not because of an innate decline in US culture per se. But these people by wishing it true start to make it true. "Our industry cannot compete against these emerging nations, therefore we should move production overseas." They never consider the answer of fighting back by making industry better - by being more efficient, or making higher quality or better designed products. That's what would have happened in America's heyday. That kind of attitudinal difference is what is making the US decline. Am I being jaded to think that? Possibly. But more importanly is it true?