The mismeasure of citations

It is often claimed that the number of other "peer review" articles that cite an article is a measure of the former article's quality, but that's circular reasoning. That others cite an article only proves that those who cite it think it is good, it does not prove that it is good. What causes others to cite an article may be an irrational dogma passed on in the education that is required to become egible for reviewer status in that journal. The education was originally created by people who had not themselves go that education (not before they created it). "Peer review" advocates often say that "crackpots" cite other "crackpots". But logically, that implies that "peer review" is just another "crackpot" organization, separated from other "crackpot" organizations by politization alone.