HH,
From what you say you started your flying with the military and have been around long enough to have had your civil training paid for by your employer.
Today the military is still an option for a few to learn to fly, but for many the "authoritarian" and "Rank" environment would be unacceptable. Unlike in your time the opportunities for sponsorship by airlines is limited or non existant.
So since the self sponsored route is effectively the only route open to becoming a pilot these days your dismissive attitude is not only unjustified, it makes no sense. The willingness of people to show their commitment,by paying their own money, rather than use someone elses, should be lauded.
If you are still flying and have not moved to the "Dark Side" I assume that you must fly with some of these "awful self funded chappies" as there must be increasing numbers at BA. It might hurt your pride, but by definition they are just as "good" as you and there are more of them currently flying for Easy, Ryan or whoever on their way!
The pilots at the other airlines would of course like to have better T&C's but for people like you to consider them as "inferior" and the "enemy" rather than the Management suits the latter perfectly. Rather than denegrate them it would be better to show solidarity, with a view to trying to improve conditions across the board. As others have pointed out, if the conditions at BA deteriorate then this will affect pilots elsewhere. Of course it would be equally true that if conditions improved elsewhere then they would at BA also. Time to recognise and know your enemy and as far as you can act together to overcome him.
By the way, as a person who appears to have an aversion to people paying their own way, could I be impertinent and ask if you are amongst the 10% or so of BA pilots who are happy to freeload by not belonging to BALPA?