Tesla, I agree with you.
That's been a sore spot with me for years; if you search this site you'll find I had a thread long ago, asking if the NEC had lost focus.
The question is just where 'practical safeguarding' and 'good design' part ways. Make no bones about it; many of the 'safety' arguments are dependent upon design choices. (For example, compare the different US and UK approaches to power in bathrooms).
The NEC plainly states that it is not a design manual, and explains that a 'safe' installation might not be the most efficient design, or have any provisions for future changes.
I don't want to get off on a tangent; if we want to discuss this in more depth, perhaps a new thread is in order.
