They were poor farmers. The Germans were rich farmers yet they were both respectful and almost crime free. Then it occurred to me that North America, particularly the United States is founded on disrespect. Disrespect has been the intellectually good attitude from George Washington, Paul Revere through to the cowboys and Rambo. Most current American heroes are rebels and iconoclasts making monkeys of the establishment.
Disrespect is admirable and liberating.
Of course, this is a good thing within reason compared to submission to authoritarian despotism. However like most things in life it is a double-edged sword. My point is that the worship of freedom and disrespect in an extreme way may be part of the cause of our malaise. Perhaps a more important factor is the destruction of meaningful work. If there were meaningful, decent-paying jobs within walking distance or a short public transportation ride for the lower income and poor people of our inner cities, crime would drop dramatically.