Slowjet - interesting post, but you spoil it with the last sentence of the penultimate paragraph. If you truly feel that you cannot learn anything from someone because they are from some group that you don't approve of, then I would suggest that you've been in the wrong job your whole career. Listening to people that you perceive to be below you either in rank or social position, is a skill I suspect that one or two of the military guys that you dislike, could teach you a thing or two about.
This may not be the airline world that you joined and you may be resistant to change generally, but things move on. Sometimes for the better and sometimes not. Engineering away the requirement for pilot skills is surely a good thing generally? Ships no longer require a crew of hundreds to man the rigging and likewise aircraft have moved on. Personally I see that as a positive development in safety and efficiency.
I'm sorry if you feel so bitter about your career. A wasted career is a very sad thing. Personally I love flying and I will never do anything else - its un-complicated, largely bad-stress free and still well rewarded in the large part. I suspect if you had tried your hand at something other than flying in your career, you might have found out just how blessed you are.