That's an interesting and thought provoking post...but, allow me to play Devil's Advocate for a bit....

While there could be some dirty business going on, there is an equally plausible explanation...editing.

Let's stick with the Rob/Amber situation....

You imply that Rob and Amber started getting close, so production rigged the swap to get rid of Amber....

But, perhaps what really happened is...

Rob and Amber were flirting a bit....then, the swap happened....Rob made his offer to Lex...Lex follows through...and Rob knifes him in the back....Rob and Amber end up making a run to the end....

So, in the editing room, knowing how it plays out...They highlight Rob and Amber's budding romance before the swap...Then, they really highlight the Rob/Lex angle.

If Lex and Kathy make the smart move and get rid of Amber, then we likely never see any of the Rob/Amber stuff before the swap. The viewers don't get the "satisfaction" of seeing their relationship/alliance destroyed because it's not really a big story. The big story that we *did* see was that Rob and Amber formed an alliance on day one, it blossomed, and it survived the tribal swap...