His analysis is especially instructive for us because the very institutions needed for prosperity in the former USSR states are the very ones under increasing attack in our country. In our country, a major part of this infrastructure includes a bill of rights, whose main purpose is to protect citizens against arbitrary action by government. Citizens of the former Soviet Union have no such protection. Another part of capitalist or laissez-faire culture and infrastructure is the rule of law and stability of the law. Rule of law is where everyone obeys and is judged by the same set of rules.
Laws apply to government officials just as they apply to citizens.
Outcomes are irrelevant. Baseball rules provide an excellent example of this process. In 1998, Mark McGuire hit 70 home runs while other players hit 10 or less. Nobody accuses McGuire of greed and exploitation. Politicians don't call for a redistribution of his home runs, or tell McGuire that he should give something back.