[MARTIAL MONK]

The answer is money. A poor immigrant can walk into Gallup with little English and no money and become very wealthy in a few years. Their's is a trading culture and we are idiot consumers,

In Gallup it all comes together. An endless supply of fools from the interstate eager to spend money, a perception
of a local product, a rustic theme to keep expenses low, arab traders willing to bend the rules and sell faux
jewelry to faux people. Gallup is a nasty town but it has
(officially) twenty two millionaires and in reality probably thrice that.

This opportunity always has been available to whites and Indians. Why do they prefer to work for six bucks an hour
at Walmart and bitch about the rich arabs? The answer is in the culture.

[Lil'freeper]

The answer is in the culture.

You are so right on. The driving force of capitalism is competition which is not a significant part of Navajo culture. Competition destroys "balance." I remember back during the hanta virus mess stumbling across a PSA on a Navajo radio station about the use of bleach and dealing with rodents. The theme was not 'do this to protect yourself' it was 'do this to restore harmony.' Their's is a beautiful and fascinating culture but not one equipped to thrive in a capitalist society.