I really don't get the objections.
The resistance here is basically questioning the rationale, technical specific's & collected statistics behind arc-faults.
This has been the norm for any new product / method handed to the NEC, and essential in it's understanding, hopefully this forum maintains an unbiased approach.
The premis of 'save a few lives' could also be argued in the wearing of steel suits while driving automobiles. If tear jerker stories are needed, brother I got em'.
We loose 50K a year there, but the factors and specifics would be argued hard vs. blind acceptance.
If the NEC chooses an add-a-cycle approach per AFCI's , as it did with GFCI's, then i propose a residential panel and complying main breaker to address the issue.
This would be a european twist, more effective and economical. We hit the upgrades which are the aim (or should be).
