Couldn't disagree more. Failed states normally have a single department (the military, often) dictating without opposition what other departments should do. Here we see a functioning system, the President presses, the Fed disagree and push back. The President weaponizes the judicial, yes, but it'll be a long shot. Nothing here smells to a failed state.
I don't believe it's cultural only, the same way I don't believe ethiopians or kenyans excelling at marathons and long distance runs to be a cultural thing. Genetics play a factor, why can't math skills be influenced by genetics as well?