This is actually a very instructive example. In the GW debate we have folks saying things like "I'm not a climate scientist but I know global warming is a lie"

This is actually a very instructive example. In the GW debate we have folks saying things like "I'm not a climate scientist but I know global warming is a lie". That's pretty similar to this case where there's this belief that the opinions of non-technical folks should be held in the same esteem as those of technical folks. I think this comes down to the same basic cultural trend: a desire for everyone's opinions to be of equal value regardless of individual merit, a deep distrust of science/engineering/etc, an assumption that by reading a couple of echo chamber blog posts anyone can become an expert on anything, and a rejection of any and all authority. It's really pretty fascinating, if troubling.