It is what has evolved with human societies. Cooperation is better than brute force in the long run.
I wholeheartedly agree. People want to be good. And if given the chance they'd much rather give something to someone else, than to steal something for themselves. I mean which would you prefer, to steal something that you want, or to give somebody else something that they want?
I'm guessing that you'd rather give. Which is why piracy hasn't killed the music industry, or the movie industry, or the book industry. It's why there are threads like this one, because people don't like taking things that they don't feel like they've earned.
You have a low opinion of the human race.
If anything, I'm far too optimistic about the human race, because I think that left to their own devices, people will choose to be good. And that if you gave them the option of paying for something, or getting it for nothing, enough of them would choose to pay... even above and beyond fair value... to make up for those who would choose not to pay.
So I'm of the opinion that we need a system in which people are free to pay what their conscience tells them that they should pay. And if their conscience tells them to pay nothing, then let them pay nothing. Think of it like tipping. People don't have to tip, yet they do, and those who feel so inclined may even consider it an honor to tip more, simply to make up for those who don't.
Such a system wouldn't be a case of might makes right, but rather a system in which people's consciences make right. But hey, if you'd prefer to believe that people would simply abuse the system, and the lesser angels would win out, I can't really argue with that. But still, I think that I'd prefer it over a system that says pay up or else.