I understand that you were raised with the comfortable blanket of having the decision made for you with the SOP and that making the decision I've made example of is beyond the cover of your blanket with which you feel so safe.
When the blanket that's covering me is made of snow & ice, I feel no great need to innovate.
I have observed the transition to this attitude you have across the younger ranks which has been artificially created by the SOP. Just as automation dilutes pilot skill, the SOP here has diluted your ability to see and think outside the little box you feel comfortable in. It doesn't much matter in that the SOP rules, right?
I
can see "out of the box" in this example and I don't like what's there. This particular SOP has been bought with lives of many people; when those involved in the design, certification and technical operation of airframes are all stressing the utmost importance of a clean wing, you're a fool if you don't listen, to put it bluntly.
It only matters when the inability to see outside the little SOP box has you crucifying a colleague with a label of "unsafe" - when in fact he may have been safer and just more experienced.
And just what sort of experience can be gained when flying a large jet transport that would enable you to make a rational decision about de-icing or not when you have snow, etc. on the aeroplane?
The whole point is that you
do not and I would go as far as to say
can not know what the effects of even a small amount of contamination will be on the airframe, especially if it is asymmetric in its deposition. If you take off under these conditions you are playing with the lives of those you are charged with protecting, for no good reason. I believe the word "cowboy" is appropriate in these circumstances.