Yes I follow inasmuch as the "USA has a far higher per capita incidence of violent crime than is found in Canada or western Europe....and far more of its own people in prison per capita than Canada or western Europe" and that would certainly be a valid component in decscribing "The American Way of Life."

Your big picture generalizations though, causing objection by various American mudcatters, are often overbroad and describe unfair stereopypes. That crime and punishment principle is probably related to pervasive economic angst, not ingnorance (I would guess).