"Promoting diversity in hiring is like the "women and children first" rule for lifeboats. The existence of the rule does not prove that women and children are tough enough to get their own seats now, it is in recognition that they would get no seats if the men used strength as the sole arbiter of seat selection."

One hundred percent wrong. The "women and children first" rule is for the long term  preservation of the society. No men, we'll get over that in one generation. No women or kids, no future at all.