Oddly enough chuks, the 'stone age' as you call it, is required by aviation regulatory authorties.
CAA/FAA/DGCA have specific requirements for the Commander, one of which is, he is responsible for the operation of the aircraft.
Not the co-pilot, not the flight engineer, not the chief steward...it is the Captain who is in charge, and strangely enough, the respective airline companies don't call them 'managers' either.
And, as for your comment 'my way or the highway...', it quite actually should read..'the company way or the highway'.
A very few younger guys seem to think that they can improvise as they go along, not pay attention to details, and when they are told by the Captain to 'shape up or ship out', they feel belittled and frustrated. Then, when they run crying to the fleet manager, and are given the cold shoulder, they are resentful of the 'system'.
All I can say is...get used to it. It ain't likely to change anytime soon.
But, there is a bright spot on the horizon.
Once you have the experience and senority, a command will be available, provided you have not burned too many bridges in the past.
Too many black marks in your record makes for poor advancement later on.
I've seen it happen all to often.