It's not their fault because it's all they know. They do know much, but it all originates out of the books. For them aerodynamics happen in the OPT, fuel decision in some office by pushing a button and RNAV approaches in the FMS.
Airmanship and common sense is something of a past time, quite often denigrated to the image of Denzel Washington's interprettion of a "real" pilot.
It's the fault of the airline. As long as they shun experience, especially gained outside of the EK cocoon, as long as they promote the Pampers-Captain fraction to TRI/E's almost the day after passing the upgrade, with the eventual exeption of a former BA buddy, this will not change.
I agree with fliion, just nod and do what they want, it's in the sim anyway. On line keep doing what's safe and reasonable.
Don, i might agree that this could be a flashback to the Boeing days, but did you ask yourself the question why the distance between trainers and line-swines is supposedly smaller on the dugogn? The answer can point two ways ......