Most American culture seems like a reinvention of British culture demanded by national pride. My impression is that their versions are like cheap knock-offs of the originals. Their beers are worse. They even managed to mess up the game of football.

Though that is apparently meant sardonically, as a UK citizen, it doesn't seem too far off to me - though I would have gone for the language and the arts with my comparison.

Of course the analogy goes horribly wrong when you get down to the "numbers" point I mentioned. Japan is tiny, China is huge. England is tiny, America is huge. The very same factor that worked for America over England also works for China over Japan. Almost everyone realises this.