Any ideas on the influence of the IFT program? When I did IFT in 2002 it was a self-help program at the local FBO that got a fella a private pilot certificate. Perhaps the modern IFT program is sifting out those that would have normally washed out of UPT "back in the day."
When I graduated CAFB in 2004 we had only washed out 1 stud (Tweets). One stud later washed out of F-15C RTU and was reassigned to B-1s. I don't remember anyone in my T-1 class that didn't have moldable pilot skills.
I don't know that recent mishaps are necessarily attributable to poor pilot skills (C-5 Dover, and, ahem, C-17 vs KC-135 over Hawaii -- all piloted by pre-SNAP pilots if I remember correctly), however I do agree that the pilot force is less academically inclined than previous generations that were raised reading the Dash-1 while sitting alert in the SAC alert facility.
My weaknesses? Academic knowledge (especially GK involving math), dealing with en-route C2, and a deep knowledge of weather phenomena (beyond the basics). Fortunately the Sq/CC still allows me to fly the occasional 1A1 mission.
Perhaps what's missing is the desire to constantly learn and improve.