[dragonwriter]

> I think this idea that coding is some sort of silver bullet is ridiculous.

Its not a silver bullet, but it is as a core component of developing of computer literacy, a broadly applicable foundational skill for non-menial jobs in the modern world, even if programming itself isn't a central duty of the job.

(In the right context -- though its possible to learn programming without developing much of this -- its also a valuable way, and perhaps the most accessible in terms of providing concrete feedback, to develop technology-neutral systems literacy, which is an even more broadly applicable, foundational skill.)