I have friends in Denmark. We don't see each other as often as we like these days, but we correspond. Denmark is a functional society. Danes accept a personal obligation to support their society and in turn are supported by it. But my Danish friends tell me that could never work over here. We are infused with a view of our nation, and to a great extent our society, as a capitalist competition to succeed. And the measure of that success is accumulated wealth. Obligations to society are extra burdens that are more often honored it the breech. In smaller units, like family or church or small towns we do tend to be more social and altruistic.