Even an idiot can be taught the sense behind the Golden Rule. Enforce that with no social safety nets and armed individuals, the normal draw to easy money from being a criminal disappears. Humans are not "inherently good" beings. That falicy needs to go away. Putting a human being in charge of other human beings, in religion or government, is a BAD idea. There isn't a single example of a religion or a government that at some point in their history had an human abuse their position of power. It just goes with the territory.
The people you have met would no longer be able to get away with their crap. Try tossing a trashcan through my businesses window and I'll shoot you. Repeatedly. Can't do that now, because the GOVERNMENT has made it illegal to kill them for their lawlessness.
Impending death is a strong dis-incentive to bad behavior. Sometimes, the only real effective one.
Your point makes me think of Asia right now. There is very little central government control, and it's turning towards lawlessness.
Golden rule aside (for those of us who adhere to it), what would/could make people do the right thing?
This debate is interesting to me,
if it's bugging you, we can call it off. :-)