For the record, I think that's at best a conspiracy theory, and at worst, nefariously motivated propaganda. But let's assume for a second that your statement has merit...
Does that mean we just roll over and let the Thargoids do what they like?
Saturn is not just a photo op, it's awesome.
The canyons of Ariel a photo op? ROFL
Titan is hardly a photo op, it doesn't look all that special, it's a MYSTERY to be wondered about.
Earth, well, ok it's just a photo op, but it's still the birthplace of mankind, there is only one out of three TRILLION bodies.
What you say about ranking missions is totally irrelevant. I am already King and Admiral, why would I still go there if it was just for rank up? It has RICH MISSIONS, period. Nothing to do with ranking. When I want to make Biotech conductors, MEF, EFCs, I toss a coin between Sneider Enterprise (TZ Arietis) and Galileo (the Moon, Sol), because I know I'll find a mission I WANT to do that rewards what I want. When I just want to do some federal dirty work I'll go see if the President needs any Independents killed.
Tiana Fortune cannot apply special effects to FSDs (avoiding a long trip to either Farseer or Martuuk, if you are in the core systems), nor engineer G5 FSD interdictors? You've confused me here, because even if she was superior, which she isn't, I've never visited her except to rank her up for completeness, and moreover, she's not in Sol...we're talking about useful stuff 'in Sol'.
Outfitting is irrelevant, the core Fed systems have the highest concentration of High Tech systems of any other area of the bubble to my knowledge, plus it's only 70ly to Shinny, something most ships can do without a scoop.
You can keep going if you like, but your initial statement that Sol is a crap system is patently, demonstrably, incorrect. It's a fully hand-crafted system as well as if that doesn't raise it above others alone! At least let me show you what you're missing thinking Ariel is just a photo op...If there was nothing else in Sol, I'd still go to Ariel for this...
Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQnQ4P3pyC8