ED has zero reason to PvP in game other than effectively bragging rights.
I disagree.
Even with the monetary consequences for being shot down trending toward zero, there are still penalties that can be inflict upon CMDRs by engaging them in hostilities. They can often be driven off, which may make the rest of one's own session quieter and safer (or attract retaliation), or if one is lucky, they may fail missions or lose bonds/vouchers/data that could have significant impact on applicable BGS activities.
Even if I ignore all the potential implications to the BGS, my CMDR is safer, and I am more able to engage in non-PvP activities in Open, unmolested, because I am familiar with PvP. Ability shifts the frustration/excitement ratio decidedly toward the latter. Knowing what I'm doing means I rarely have to be confused about what happened, or why, and can never feel victimized. I can also ignore, overcome and enjoy distractions that would be insurmountable barriers to others.
There are also skills that either cannot be developed any other way, or that are difficult to incentivize otherwise.
Ultimately, I've never lacked a gameplay reason to engage in PvP. Even if I, as a player, know the consequences for my CMDR getting shotdown are nil, my CMDR isn't going to be certain of that, and is going to have many motivations to defend himself.
For me if you want to consider it a PvP game you need to have the focus around PvP, not have PvP as an ancillary activity while you go do other stuff, especially when you can avoid any potential chance of PvP in it's entirety in the base design of the game (I.e. modes)
The best PvP games I've ever played didn't make a pretense of focusing on PvP. They didn't allow it to be avoided as easily as ED does, and generally had more meaningful consequences all round, but to make PvP the focus would be to miss the point, from my perspective.
I dabble in CQC, but I don't particularly enjoy it, because there is nothing there except arbitrary PvP, which renders the act largely moot by removing it's incentives and context. PvP is a means to an end for me.
Are people still blaming FD for their own actions?
Frontier sets and enforces the rules. If something is possible, it's because they've allowed it.