[mass55th]

"Because if your theory isn't true, it means that the "greatest country in the world" is staffed by the Dumbest People in the World" (and that, of course, could never be true)."

Unfortunately, there's being plain, old incompetent dumb, and being deliberately-on-purpose dumb. I'm going with the second.

[Captain Walker]

Unfortunately, there's being plain, old incompetent dumb, and being deliberately-on-purpose dumb. I'm going with the second.

The people in these jobs are more mediocre than anyone will ever admit publicly.

It's a safe bet that they spend 99% of their careers on monotonous grunt work (where, after a time, complacency is almost expected); highly intelligent and/or truly creative types would quickly become bored with this line of work. And when the balloon finally goes up, those there are overwhelmingly drones.