Well, Trumpy, some folks might say the US has the AFCI breakers first because we are the world leader, and just that far ahead of everyone else.
Right.
These are the same folks who argue we should have tamper resistant receptacles because those other 'backwards' countries have them.
And we'll overlook the folks who still oppose nuclear power, even though it's been quite thoroughly mastered by the unwashed French - even the 'breeder' reactors.
I prefer using as an analogy an inexperienced backpacker.
The novice will pack an ax - he might need to chop some wood. Then a shovel - for digging a hole. A pick - in case he hits a rock. A mallet, for driving in stakes. A pry bar for pulling them out. Etc. Before you know it, the poor guy has a pack you can lift only with a crane.
That's what our code is becoming ... an unweildy collection of well-intentioned requirements meant to make things a 'little' safer. The result will be like that 500lb. backpack- irrelevant. Yet every piece will be added by someone unwilling to step back, unwilling to admit that they are part of the problem.
Probably the worst offenders, though, are those who seek to build their design preferences into the code. We see this, for example, in the recent rules that greatly restrict - even eliminate - the use of multi-wire branch circuits in homes. A practice that I can prove has been used, in homes, since 1940 is suddenly 'too complicated' for the homeowner.
I hate to say it, but when it comes to AFCI's, "the fix is in." The only way to get AFCI's out of the code is to stop adopting the NEC, even to the extent of writing your own code, rather than modifying the NEC. As long as those codebook dollars keep coming in, they'll keep printing them.
