I didn't say he was infallible. He could be wrong. I'm talking about academic credibility—and he has it.
a STEM degree
A STEM PhD from Harvard. FTFY. And comparing James Damore to Ben Carson is, frankly, absurd. James Damore is not a politician, he's a scientist. He's not some yahoo in a comment thread, arguing with academics and professionals in their field from his parent's basement.
You're highlighting another big problem these days, slavish reverence for the 'best schools'.
I will also get a PhD from Harvard, and from a more selective program than this person. Yet I recognize the limits of my knowledge.
Studying microbes [1] does not give you the standing to discuss sociology. If your very well-qualified dentist wanted to do a code review of your last commit, you might think twice before accepting his advice - namely, you would ask what special knowledge he has, besides being a generally smart individual.
a STEM degree
A STEM PhD from Harvard. FTFY. And comparing James Damore to Ben Carson is, frankly, absurd. James Damore is not a politician, he's a scientist. He's not some yahoo in a comment thread, arguing with academics and professionals in their field from his parent's basement.