I agree 100% with the OP.

I am not at all defending the current crafting system as it stands now, nor trying to justify that no changes are needed. Certainly changes are needed in the crafting system. For the most part, the act of ranking up a craft simply isn't fun. I fail to see how these changes AT ALL change the crafting system to make it more fun for crafters.

Instead, these proposed changes simply eliminate all depth or complexity from crafting, but leave the same old mechanics of leveling a craft in place. They seem designed not to enhance gameplay for crafters at all. Instead, they seem designed to enhance gameplay for the combat classes - by giving them easier access to "cool" gear.

I'm going to reference back to Matsui-san's treatise on the battle mechanics reform:
Creating a battle system that fosters skillful play.
These proposed crafting changes appear to promote the exact opposite for crafting. Instead of a complex, engaging system, we will have a shallow system that exists simply as a side-line in order to create gear for the "favored system" : battle classes.

I admit that not all of the detail are in. The materia system has not been explained in any detail, nor the system where gear is customized for particular classes (as reflected by the color). However, the changes proposed here seem a drastic step backwards.

I am also sure that a great number of players will approve of these changes. These are primarily (I believe) the players who do not like crafting, nor being part of a persistent online world that consists of many facets. They are the players that favor combat, and simply want their "cool loot". This is fine, I hold nothing against people that like combat-type play. I, however, have no desire to neuter the combat system in order to cater to the crafting system, and would hope that people would show me the same respect.

In the end, it is the development team that makes the final call on this. They decide whether or not they believe this will be good for the game overall (in the only way that matters : paying subscribers). I believe it will ultimately make the game shallower. This leads to an ever-increasing spiral as the people who like depth in a game leave, to be replaced by those feel no attachment nor involvement with the game-world. This leads to ever more shallow content in order to satisfy these customers.