I have a problem with the generaliztion, so you think all western educated people are smart? that's a very narrow minded look at the world.
There are people who recieve their foundation education in third world "environment" and still turn out to be better professionals than their western educated counterparts, when they are put in the same environment and recieve the same training. It might not be common place but it happens. The other day a young nigerian who recieved his primary education in the hinterland of the western African state, broke records in John hopkins University. Probably half his colleagues attended prestigious American prep schools when they were younger, didnt make a differnce to his abilities as an individual.
For people working in a multi cultural environment with such a narrow view of their colleagues, it is simply saddening. No wonder one poster on the Survey thread made a heartfelt appeal, for there to be fairness and people not be judged on their religion or their passports.
Whats interesting though is how some "third worlders" have learnt to play the game, Just get a Western passport and a fake accent and voila, everybody assumes you are smarter than you really are. Maybe just maybe thats why EK is littered with non performing mid level managers, i don't know.