Well now, in our Olde "Village", the double muzzles were said by some (later to become desaparecidos, of course, in the usual manner of these things) to allow a "peer" rating based on 1) perception of your double-gun knowledge, 2) your helpfulness and sensitivity, 3) your adherence to the gentleman's code. The muzzles seemed to work pretty well as ". . . an armed society is a polite society." Now we've got the stars and most of us are seeing them as we daily batter on the other guy for 1) slights and provocations, 2) lack of political enlightenment, 3) cause we just plain don't like him.
Of course the ratings are automatically averaged by the "star program" or whatever. Your best buddy gives you a 5; that little gomer you can't stand gives you a 1 and Viola! 1+5/2=3 beautiful stars and the old gentleman's "C" so to speak and a result devoutly to be desired in my opinion. However, the popularity contest is complicated by some hard taskmasters who really do admire you (provisionally) and give you a 1 because they think the system's cumulative and that eventually, thru hard striving to engratiate yourself with other like-minded persons, you'll get "stars". Course that ain't gonna happen as 1+1+1+1/3=1.
Also not entirely safe from historical analysis either. I just gave you a 5 and saw you up to 2. Way I figure it you have 1+1+1+5/4=2 so I am your best buddy and very generous cf. to your other friends. Thanks for listening.
jack