Who knows? How does a light sabre work? What is the level of Cylon technology? We know Tempest works one way, reading the faint electromagnetic signals emanating from a network cable, so maybe they can affect those signals.
I don't think Galactica was run by the dregs; maybe by the old guys nearing retirement.
The ship was about to be put out to pasture. They didn't have their best on board. Now not being the best doesn't necessarily mean they're not technically proficient, it can also mean undesirables and those out of favor, such as those who don't have much military discipline or can't deal with politics. Would you have let Tigh on a front-line ship? I doubt it. He was put in a harmless position waiting to be put out to pasture.
Admiral Caine was an example of "anti-military" bias.
I didn't see it that way. It was about her, not the military. While it did show the dangers of a military without civilian control, some in the show didn't outright condemn her, saying she did what she needed to do in order to survive. But that did go against the theme of that show, "do we deserve to survive," which was why both commanders called off their assassination plots.
Besides, I thought the documentary episode showed the military in an excellent light.
Ya know - "Do we deserve to survive" would never, ever occur to me. And I certainly wouldn't put up with Cylon lecturing me on it...