> An upper limit is not the desired and accepted speed everybody needs to aim for.
I agree entirely. But while you seem to be thinking about the situation where the speed limit is higher than the natural safe speed range people would intuit without a sign, often it's significantly lower. That's a bad way to design roads and speed limits. In pedestrian areas restrict the roads more, and in non-pedestrian areas let people go a good pace on straight dry roads.
> Nobody is milked. The rules are simple and trivial to follow. Those that are fined are really asking for it.
How much over is your threshold for "really" asking for it? If it includes people going 2-3 over then I very much disagree.
An upper limit is not the desired and accepted speed everybody needs to aim for.