Dave, the thought of wiring only to induce backbudding is a 'lighbulb' moment for me too lol
There's one person here, I forget exactly, but he has a RMJ, moved from somewhere with winters to Atlanta if I'm not mistaken. His foliage was healthy and compact. Sev. asked how he did it and he just kept it fed and pinched back...again, if I'm not mistaken. So if RMJs can be grown successfully in Atlanta, if can be done nearly anywhere here in the states.
John, pruning or wiring doesn't change the tree genus to another genus. It simply helps us in our art of bonsai. As Walter Pall would say, he's striving for 'naturalistic', not 'natural'. Mother nature's 'natural' look is at times chaotic, bonsai seeks to give order to chaos, but have it appear naturalistic.
By "purist", I'm implying not trying to make a RMJ into a Shimpaku, or a PP into a BP. If your climate can't properly grow a RMJ or PP, then, for me, you shouldn't own one. You said "The best way to accomplish great things with bonsai material is to get a predictable and robust response to a particular procedure". I couldn't agree more, but that should be the use of wire, pinching, pruning, needle thinning, candle cutting.....these are the ways to get a predictable and robust response.
Yes, if you need a new root, or branch, then grafting is ok. But I don't think it's ok to change to morphology of a tree just because you don't like the foliage associated with that particular tree. Maybe heresy to feel this way, but I do.