The world is full of people who are not smart and don't want to feel inferior. No conspiracy needed, we've collectively decided it's best to dumb down to a common denominator to make everyone feel included. That's what you're seeing here. To a degree this is part of a good society but it also removes incentives to escape mediocrity.
Perhaps attempts to abolish gifted and talented programs in schools?
In the metaphorical galaxy brain comic of this situation, “GATE programs fell out of fashion because of tall poppy syndrome” is the first or AT BEST the third frame.
It’s the line of thinking held by the ‘uninformed self-described smart guy’ contingent, that knows nothing about education, yet think that they can intuit their way through it. It’s unrealistic, naive, and utterly condescending. It’s no surprise that I see it so much in tech people.
Are you an educator or pedagogy researcher? You certainly act as if you are.
I've seen this firsthand. Kids who think they're gifted and talented, and coast with B's through high school. Then college Calculus hits and they realize they don't actually know math or how to reason about it - they only know the surface level of the pieces and how to apply them in a test.