I can't see where his argument was about lifetime earning potential. Seems to be just simply women with children make less money, which seems reasonable.
I also don't see anywhere he even implied that salary and lifetime earning potential were the same thing. And salary would be reflected in lifetime earning potential.
What is your position? I'm not even certain what the point of your disagreement is.
Validation need not come from anywhere outside yourself. Set your own goals. Do your best. Pat yourself on the back. People who 'recognize' you only do so superficially anyway. No one can truly know what you've done or where you've been.