Kent's right, but so is Tom.

That is, Kent's right that this is, in the abstract, a silly topic to
argue about.  But Tom's right that people with power over jobs take this
topic seriously, and therefore one cannot afford to treat it too lightly.

Let me put it this way:  The argument over whether one race is "superior"
to another is so silly as to not be worthy of comment.  But in a world in
which people *kill* one another over that question it must be addressed
directly.

Now, being killed is not the same thing as being hired, and snobbery over
particular academic degrees is a far cry from racism.  (And please don't
bother responding with "Well! I'm glad you realize that!" -- this is a
*metaphor*.)  But the underlying principle is the same:  Any criterion
which acts as a justification for the application of power must be treated
seriously enough to be seriously refuted or endorsed.

Ken Schneyer
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