JFK made a speech before the American Newspaper Publishers Association in 1961. His discussion of the dangers of stifling transparency - often in the name of public safety - seems as important today:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/president-obamas-2012...
I am probably looking with rose tinted spectacles, but post WWII there seemed to be a ruling class who tried to live up to noble words.
These days the ruling class see gutter fighting as an acceptable response, lining your pockets with contracts as due payment and constitutions as inconvenice not guidance.
If you are a 600-pound gorilla, sticking to the queensbury rules is not likely to affect the outcome. But it will affect how trusted you are the next fight you get into.
Edit: This just goes to show what you say != what you do