Sounds to me like we're all pretty much in agreement here.
For 10W - I think your conclusion that the post in MIL forum was a "little rich" is probably very acurate and fair. It's easy to get defensive behind having to justify yourself as both someone who can turn a wrench and also possess a mind. I'm guilty of getting doing that myself when people get too cavalier about what it takes to be a decent mechanic. I don't know how it came to pass that people would see the tools come out and automatically assume that any monkey could do the work; shame on them, and I guess, shame on me too for getting rattled when they clearly just don't understand.
I have pretty good mechanical insticts and skills, but I also know that I can work on aircraft everyday for the next thirty years and I'm still going to be learning something new.
If pilots are able to over-inflate their salaries, that will eventually find it's way back to the mean - but it clearly illustrates what can be achieved with savvy respresentation and formidable solidairity. I envy them - and wish we had more of the same.