You can be employed by someone else and still not work for a short-sighted middle manager type. My boss knows I post on HN, he doesn't care as long as I get my work done, and he doesn't tell me what to do.

I think your comparison is more along the lines of "Do you work with shitty managers or good managers?"

Well, they're still "the man", and they will let you know it if you don't cross your t's and dot your i's.