As for individualism... it's very hard to judge. Culture promotes raw condescension and selfishness, and at all times bidding for social power; but society, in part because of that arrogance, does not support people just because they are themselves.

In the only philosophy class I ever took, my teacher and I agreed that if you gave everybody in the world the same amount of everything - one home, one thousand dollars, etc. - it wouldn't be more than a few hours before someone had six homes, six thousand dollars, etc. It's a mix of the powers of human nature and their unfortunate reprecussions.