[hacklite]

Can't legislate competence.

Feynman resigned from the National Academy of Sciences, "because that was another organization most of whose time was spent in choosing who was illustrious enough to join, to be allowed to join us in our organization [...] The whole thing was rotten because its purpose was mostly to decide who could have this honor [...]"

Well, he tried to resign but they wouldn't let him because they didn't want to lose someone of his stature!

[swombat]

From the sound of it the NAS was trying to legislate greatness rather than competence. I'd agree that you can't legislate greatness, but you can definitely legislate competence, so long as you set the bar at a reasonable level.

[hacklite]

Examples? There are plenty of incompetent doctors, and that's about as high a bar as there is.