Originally Posted by
PowderFinger
Like everything else with the FAA, the MEL is regulatory to a minimum standard and has nothing to do with safety. After something happens the minimum standard may be adjusted usually at the suggestion of the NTSB. Until then the CAPTAIN has the ability to raise the standard above the minimum when required.
While I agree with the idea that the Captain raises the bar of safety, for you to state that FAA minimum anything “has nothing to do with safety” is false and blatantly misrepresentation of their purpose.
The reason for an MEL and things like ETOPS, in the FARs is because without them safety would only be in the eyes of the beholder. It provides a minimum level of protection/safety for the general population.