Depending on how you're looking at things lots of first world countries have harsher laws. The US gets kinda batshit with their punishments (drug war, three strikes etc.), but a lot of European countries have bigger restrictions on free speech, the UK has its libel laws, generally employment is more regulated etc.

And then there's the whole gun issue.

(No, this doesn't make Singapore any "better", I'm just saying that the US isn't exactly dystopian just because it doesn't have legal hookers)