But the adaption is something like social security, not expecting the children to "have empathy" which is the comment I was responding to. (And then "Better hope you have an Asian kid.")

In my opinion, it feels to me like it is true that the Asian culture does put family as priority number one. Asian countries put in place social welfare policies as they adapt to industrialization. The ones that changed too fast to adapt their social structures have still seen their elders fall into poverty and suicide. It's an excellent example to the rest of us that even if other cultures radically change to selflessness and respect of elders, it's still not going to result in a country they are going to want to live in.

I really do not think a culture could respect family and their elders more than the Asian culture does. So if it didn't work for South Korea, then it's not going to work for anyone else. And in fact, Asian countries that have had more time to adapt have put into place systems to prevent elder poverty and suicide.

It's also a great example to use for people to think through the romantacism of familial responsibility and personal hard work ethic being the answer to everything, a utopia where only charity and no other system is needed. Grandparents kill themselves in order not to be a burden under that model, because family and personal responsibility come first. It's an irony.

So I realize I sounded like I was bashing Asian culture, when in fact I meant to bash the current American romantacism of utopia existing if only we had a superior culture where we respected our parents and gave to charity and took care of our own personal business. If uber-lawful, responsible Asian countries couldn't make it work, America is absolutely never going to make it work. We should follow the more mature Asian countries lead and stop imagining that we'd all be better off without things comparable to social security.