http://wiki.blender.org/index.php/Reference/Hotkey_Map
Back before Windows came out, there was an operating system, that was icon driven.
When it first came out everybody thought there was no way that the thing would take off, every one assumed that dos would remain the standard.
I am comparing this little analogy to the way Blender works, and the way it should work.
Yes, and these are the hotkeys for Maya... and it has a crapload of them too, so I really don't see your point.
It's not like either Maya or Blender (or any other program for that matter) force you to use the hotkeys, you could use the mouse on menus just fine. But if you do take the time to learn the hotkeys, you'll be five times faster than with just a mouse.