A couple things,

1. I believe that for level 50 and below content (keep in mind, 50 is NOT endgame...it's mid-game at best) gear should make things easier but NOT be required to be able to complete a fight. Once you start requiring uber sexy gears, you start eliminating who can and can't do that content. Everyone should be able to beat Moogle/Ifrit/DH etc. on their player skill alone, and not because they are wearing sexy gears.

2. However gear SHOULD make it much easier. So if you are all decked out in top level gear, and have decent player skills, and are in a party of people geared the same, you should be able to quickly and efficiently kill the Primal/Stronghold/etc content.

3. Foods, potions etc, should just give an additional edge.

4.Now based on this, I'd say stats actually aren't that far off...esp. if all that was changed is gear stats, esp melded gears, to give a more visible boost to stats and damage in the level 50 fights.

But to say that just because a skilled party in reindeer suits killed Ifrit/Moogle etc, the stats are broken is wrong. Player skill should ALWAYS be > gear and weapons. People might have a stronger point if Ifrit/Darkhold/Moogle was cleared just as quickly, risk-free with level 1 gears/naked as a party completely geared up in the best stuff. But to my knowledge it has not been. (I don't recall seeing a less than 10 min clear in reindeer suits for instance).