R&R I believe this goes back a long long way and is I am afraid just a small mirror of the society that used to exist in England. The preservation of this hierarchy still exists because so many promotions or selection criteria are not always based on ability. Couple that with the perception that the level of competence and/or intelligence is judged by the badges of rank and you have your answer. You need only look at the seemingly crass decisions that are made on a daily basis and no one dares to challenge them to see that this still works.