>Your comment on theft is spot on. The entire system starts and ends at strong rule of law coupled with a strong societal contract with private property.

Agreed. Yesterday I saw the question posed: "What is more important, property rights or human rights?" I decided that property rights is more important because, as you said, strong rule of law gives people confidence in building a societal contract with others that includes things like freedom of speech. That's what happened in Western civilization.