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If you observe the little obnoxious children after the flight, they are usually obnoxious snots off the plane as well (if the in-flight obnoxiousness didn't tire them out). The culprit is bad parenting, and until we establish some laws requiring good parenting in this country (which would improve society tremendously), the problem isn't going to go away.
By the way, a good way to deal with a troublesome child on a plane is to talk to him or her directly (assuming it isn't an infant). Such children generally aren't used to adults talking to them in a serious manner, so at the very worst you'll have a few minutes of silence while the kid puzzles it out. Be polite but serious, say please and thank you, and don't try to explain to them why they should stop -- just tell them to stop. If it pisses off the parents, who cares? They'll just fret and fume in silence. However, you'll be surprised how often the parents will come down on your side.
