My real problem with the NEC is the amount of churn that is generated by a 3 year code cycle. Most states have not even adopted the current code when the ROPs are closed for the next addition. I think they code should be on a 5 year cycle at the absolute minimum and a 10 year cycle would make a lot of sense.
It certainly appears that safety has taken a back seat to selling books, selling new/unproven technologies that are beta tested in the customer's homes and selling "code change" seminars.
How many obsolete AFCIs were installed in customer's homes at the point of a government gun because they were not ready when they were mandated in the code?
