I agree that such idea is a myth imposed and motivated by an irrational tendence.
Is education, normal peoples, citizens, scientists, academics, artists, teachers, students, most civilians, people with a dream, an idea from various nations that develops the technology advance. No generals and mindless soldiers in a battle front playing shooting and earning bravery and obedience badges.
Unfortunately the human people lives in a world in which the great intelligence (perhaps, in all this galaxy) is governed by something as abstract as an one dollar note, and the luminaries are forced selling themselves to mindless creatures.