Wow been reading through this thread and makes me realize this seems to be a fairly common thing. It makes me glad I got out of IT. The thing with IT is the job itself can be great, it's all the other BS that comes with it that is annoying.
Red Squirrel. Trust me on this one. The "non-technical" manager is everywhere. That's why everyone likes Dilbert and the Pointy Haired Boss. No matter what the field you are in, there will be idiots and drones and maybe even a trouble-maker or two.
I'm not in IT, but I understand exactly what the OP was talking about, because I have had that kind of boss also. Sure the details will vary, but the world is full of idiots and drones and fools. Unfortunately you might end up working for someone like that.