First of all thank you for the eloborate reply and I hope your heart condition gets better. (It's customary for my culture to say this eventhough it's probably chronic)

Secondly, in essence, you say people are not stupid but indoctrinated by the state to think their ways are the best. Fair enough. I can accept it as a valid explanation for what seems to be stupidity.

My country is not dissimilar when it comes to pumping people mindless nationalism and I had similar experiences when I went to China for studies about ten years ago. Although the hospitals were mostly what your American friends would imagine they would be, everything else was way over my expectations and they got better at everything since. Before I went, everyone saying stupid stuff like "They eat bugs there, what are you going to do?" (we don't have Chinese cuisine here as oppsosed to ubiquitous US Chinese take out restaurants) In the end I get to experience maybe the most diverse and satisfying cuisine in the world. Hospitals were shit, tho. :)