Great point. So many people I know who have worked in Silicon Valley have spoken about a different mindset there. Culture matters a great deal, but because it's intangible and hard to measure, we don't often see it in productivity and prosperity metrics and research. I think it's true that culture is contagious, but we also see that people who share values like to hang out together. The largest expression of this is a nation.
The people who risked their (and families) lives going west were taking very large risks for large rewards. And it's never stopped.