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Comment by mitthrowaway2 | Hacker News Reader

It is if you consider cultures, poverty levels, and crime rates to not be immutable geographic traits, but a result of policy choices. The US can't take a giant leap to kids having Tokyo-like freedom, but it can look at what Japan does differently that results in such a society (eg. its public education system, public transit, policing, street design, typical vehicle size, etc).

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You cannot legislate positive cultural attributes into being. There's no way to fine people into reading to their kids, picking up trash when they see it, deciding to put the grocery cart back, prioritizing academic achievement, etc.

> You cannot legislate positive cultural attributes into being.

You can legislate environment, e.g., when all you have is car-centric sprawling suburbs, it's harder to walk / cycle to school.

I grew up in a 'streetcar suburb', and was walking to school on my own (or with friends) by grade four (my dad woke me up, made breakfast, and then left for work: I knew I had to leave for school after G.I. Joe finished (at 8:30, for 9:00)).

It takes a lot more than legislation, but Japan's modern culture is in large part the product of its education system. It has a strong focus on teaching exactly that sort of prosocial behaviour.

Even then, Japan’s homogeneity allows its government to teach a certain lifestyle to kids with no backlash. That’s unworkable here in the US.

> Japan’s homogeneity allows its government to teach a certain lifestyle to kids with no backlash.

Are they teaching 'lifestyle' - how specifically? Does the US not teach it? And do you have any evidence that homogeniety has something to do with it?

Often "homogeneity" is a dog whistle for blaming minorities.

It's taught in the home too and Americans will teach children how to use welfare before throwing away their own trash

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