Excellent post, LJ, if I may say so. I left 44 years ago, so only get to know what present service life is like from such as PPRuNe. So what do I know? Well very little admittedly, but your post ticks so many boxes in what impressions I have gained that I believe you have got to the nub of it.
In particular you point to the MAA. There I do have some knowledge, and it gells exactly with what you say. It is a self perpetuating bureaucracy, bent on ticking boxes to serve a system. Unfortunately that system is not about Air Safety, but about VSO Safety. The MAA was founded upon the Haddon-Cave Report, which in turn stated a Golden Period of UK Military Airworthiness existed in the late80s/early90s. That was a lie, protecting as it did those VSOs who had deliberately set out to subvert Military Airworthiness in order to make short term savings. It goes on ensuring a cover up which prevents the essential reform of UK Military Airworthiness happening. So the Military Aviation Authority is in itself a Flight Safety hazard.
Add to that the reduction of the powers of a subordinate commander that you describe, so that all power resides at 2* and above, and one can see how the Star Chamber rules all. The problem is that the Star Chamber does not seek to defend the nation but rather itself. Unless and until Station and Unit Commanders regain the powers that are needed in order to command the real Royal Air Force, ie that behind the Station Gates, then the spiral of decay will continue and avoidable accidents will go on cutting away at its operational capability and skilled personnel.