Lets face it, this is a war game that endorses offensive playing style as a way of expanding. Complaining about been attacked is futile, it certainly has no point other than expressing someone's frustration for being unable to defend against a stronger opponent.
It is in everyone's discretion how they choose to play. Surely surdock7 could had chosen a 'legitimate' target, that is someone who could put some decent fight, an enemy, an inactive player, a ghost town, or a SimCity boy (or girl). Attacking an active player in the rim that tries to establish a presence there is a moral issue (not referring to Akujin specifically), but in the end it is the nature of this game that forces the more competitive players to expand at all cost.