What do you have against pacifiers?
I guess most kid don't really need it, parents need it, when they can't bear the cries. But even then I think you just postpone the annoyance. I have a friend whose pacifier story would make a good tv show, with the kid solemnly taking the thing in the dustbin and the father frantically searching the bin at 2am.
Right, but toddlers also normally nurse to comfort themselves. If you're not breastfeeding (or if you're like me and you're the night-time parent but have no breasts) then a bink can be pretty clutch in terms of getting the kid to sleep so you can go to work in the morning.
Also, if you can get a kid to control emotions early, it is all the better, and pacifier may postpone this a bit.