From the article linked in the first post - "Feeling outraged as that airline seat crashes back into your knees, taking sleep or that breakfast coffee with it? You're not alone."
Rubbish!
Any airliner I have flown on have seats that pivot off the same joint as the food tray. That means that the food tray does not move as it is not attached to the reclining part of the seat! It also means that leg room is not affected unless your knees are in such a position that they are higher than the pivoting joint.
True, having a seat reclined does bring the top of the seat closer to the passenger behind, and is not always a comfortable proposition for some passengers. However, basic courtesy and manners should be observed by all passengers. Wanna talk about bad manners? Kicking or punching another passengers seat back is exceptionally bad manners in my book. It is not a clever, amicable, or adult manner in which to deal with an issue.
Bear in mind, as already mentioned, that on some routes people specifically choose carriers with reclining seats, often paying higher prices for the privilege than might be available elsewhere. Personally, I find sleeping in upright seats very uncomfortable. Predominantly working evenings and nights and travelling days make sleep, and therefore reclining seats, important to me on aircraft. Passengers who find reclining seats limits their comfort would do well to think about choosing carriers without reclining seats if that option is available to them. If that option is not available to them, try asking politely.