are you insane? can you see any way a trained neurosurgeon will want to pitch in sweeping the streets instead of using that time to do his highly specialized job and make enough money for it to hire two people to do the sweeping for him? this is absurd! take your totalitarian socialist society and get off my lawn.
Actually, I see it every day in Japan. Elderly people, many of whom had distinguished careers, are up early in the morning to clean the streets——and believe me, this happens everywhere in Japan because there is no litter, no dead leaves, nothing. And you will see the same almost everywhere in Japan.
I met a retired Toyota engineer who was an expert in the hydrogen fuel-cell technology that is now in the Toyota Mirai. When I met him, he was volunteering his time to keep Atsuta shrine clean and feeding the local roosters, something he does whenever he feels like getting out of the house.
What I have learned in Japan is that if people feel like there is a chance of doing a good job together, it becomes a pleasure (not a chore or an imposition or an exploitation) to contribute. I believe this is universal, but Japan happens to have touched the magic ring (for the time being).
I do wonder if the job-for-life culture in Japan helps with this. Perhaps, rather than people being lazy because they can get away with it, not being terrified of losing your job means they can actually appreciate it, and learn to take pride in their work.
Probably that, plus a decent safety net of social services, plus teaching children to take responsibility, clean up, etc. Lots of factors involved, but the good news is that it can be done.
