The only real substitutes for good manners are
fast reflexes, deep pockets, and a superior intellect.
Too few people qualify so as to justify
our impolite society and its absence of etiquette.
This is why the military relies upon
the self-discipline of a hierarchical rank structure,
lest all the noble warriors be sacrificed
over ineffectual squabbles and spats
before they can be wasted on the battlefield.