This is in reference to the American standard business practice ("American Rule") whereby each party to a transaction pays its own legal bills. It is not necessarily connected to the more general American work culture (which I agree is as you characterized it, although I hope that changes with the recent defeat of the final boss of Boomer capitalism).
Yeah, I get what it was in actual reference too, I was just inferring a secondary meaning around American business practices and the Must Win culture that is prevalent in American society.
