The failure of this piece is that is that people embrace mavericks when society fails to protect human rights and instead puts the system ahead of the people it is designed to protect.

People that operate in their own self-interest are seen as corrupt individuals in the same way as "government" or the villain in a movie unless people identify with the person's reason to take "the law into their own hands". People can delude themselves into thinking they are acting for others, but governments like China who feel they are acting for the "greater good" and kill millions in the process suffer from the same delusion.

So, to be a Maverick, the people must be persuaded that the individual is acting to protect their freedom against the abuse of others. I think this element is missing in the narrative of your post. It is the same element missing when government persuade themselves that taking the freedom away from citizens is for their own good.