A lot of it is cultural norms. Selling drugs and things like that are cool in the US, even things like littering...I'm so bad ass I just threw this McDonald's bag out the window. In Tokyo when I was there it was super clean, super quiet, and pleasant. No one even talked on their cell phone in public or on the subway. Of course they have many problems of their own. People think it's all about the government to create a great society, but it's mostly the people that make that choice.