“If a Nazi is polite, does that change anything about Nazism or the horrors of Nazism? No. It changes nothing, and this nothing is the very hallmark of politeness. …A show of virtue, its appearance and nothing more.”
From reading the quote from Andre Comte-Sponville1 above, we can safely deduce that if a gangster is polite, it certainly doesn’t change anything about his criminality although it may make the whole affair a little more agreeable. This sort of politeness is nothing more than a show or appearance of virtue. The refined scoundrel may put a high value on politeness, but it doesn’t change anything about her lack of virtue. After all, she just about to steal your wallet and her civility won’t make it any more moral.