260 Exploiting Courtesy

<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">Americans are indoctrinated with the moral imperative, "do unto others as you would have them do unto you,” and treat social interactions in a quid pro quo fashion, which in a liberty society makes courtesy an implied contract, a marketable expectation, for example, your place in line. On-the-other-hand, socialist-leaning nations assume courtesy is owed to them, and exhibit a cavalier attitude towards it, manifesting in what Americans consider rudeness, such as intercepting food servers & monopolizing resources such as a guide or concierge. Conversely, socialists think Americans are the ones being rude by insisting on compliance with first-come-first-serve.</p> <p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">The Deal we American allies have with one another includes respect for ourselves & others. Since it's hard to respect people you don't know, and you don't know most people, we substitute in courtesy: you keep to yourself, don't impinge on anybody's personal space, and they'll do the same for you. It doesn't seem like such a big sacrifice, we've been doing it for centuries, however, any mechanism that does not provide feedback can be exploited: if someone abuses your's or everyone's courtesy, there is no punishment or accountability of any kind. Shunning has no impact, and often the exit solution is blocked, so there you are, getting harangued in a public space, the fabric of society slowly tearing apart, and you are helpless to prevent it; The Deal is being violated. When one part of the Deal is violated, the whole deal is compromised. This is what's happening in America and in the world today: lack of simple courtesy will bring war to us all.</p>