It might be a palliative while we're looking for a real solution. I actually pointed out the root of the problem right there: the godawful connection, overt or implicit, between the raw intellectual power and "General Worth" (incoherent concept, but sadly an emotional given) of a person in society's eyes. Changing the language is, I think, a necessary but not sufficient part of breaking that habit of thought. When combined with other tactics, linguistic manipulation can be an effective tool, even working for the common good - see "Gay".