What Did You Do in the War, Doctor?

While reading this article, I was genuinely frightened by how strongly government policy is affected by intellectual fashions, and how everyone just assumes that it's okay. Try putting yourself in their shoes for a moment:

"I want to influence the policy for preventing nuclear war and saving human civilization, because I have a new theory that Russian national character is determined by the swaddling of infants. To tell the truth, I haven't actually spoken to any Russians. But I really want a Washington career!"

I wish I was exaggerating, but as far as I can tell, that's the actual thinking process behind some of the events in the OP. How is that not insane? And if leading intellectuals fail such a basic test of sanity, what hope is there for the rest of us?