One of the things that made Japan great was its intentional effort in the late Meiji era to scour the world for good ideas and to bring them back and incorporate those ideas in a culturally appropriate way into their own society.
This is something that the U.S. should do as well if it really wants to be great. Some minor gadgets and ideas are no big deal, but countless little ideas add up to big quality of life improvements. And, while private enterprises can do some of that, some ideas are specific to governments and government policies.
For example, Japan has stickers for the vehicles of older drivers, and labels for some kinds of food that change color when the contents are spoiled. New Zealand has "no fault" insurance for all accidents, not just car accidents or work related accidents. Finland sends newborns home from the hospital with a package of useful items for the baby and has regular home nurse visits when the baby is an infant.
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