I understand your points of view completely, and if it was just your game alone, it would work.
It's really not changing the rules, it's about setting up a structured sandbox mechanic that limits by consequence what any one player or player base can do to effect the entire game and all new players experiences.
From my understanding of this game and as well as it's bigger clone. When a player commits a crime against another player (let's say unprovoked miner gank for this example) in this game there is no consequence that I am aware of. In Eve the consequence is so minimal that it's almost no consequence since it's so easy to get security status back with Clone tags. In Null Sec there is none at all.
In real life there are tons of consequences for your actions, but not in an open Sandbox MMO... Why? When you open your game up to the players to decide how it will run, you do several things.
1) You condemn your game to Gank Status and only those in power will enjoy it (most of you).
2) You limit your player base as new players won't stay, they just won't. Eve will be finished once SC is released in force, they know it and all the players know it. Even CCP knows it, that's why they don't add any real content and build other console games. It's had it's time and refuses to change. This game will also fail without a publisher that cares about ALL Players experiences, there is no other course.
The only reason to leave it as is, is because the publisher just doesn't know how to make it work otherwise. They just throw in some NPC's and leave the rest up to the players to work it out. No cost to them other than bug fixes.
Been there done that.
It's not about my way, it's the way gaming should be. You just don't go to a friends house to play Monopoly and trash his living room, burn the board pieces and eat all his food, while laughing at the fun.... well you eat the food, but not the rest.