A320 CAPT RPTS AN EXTREMELY FATIGUING TRIP PAIRING.

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THIS PAIRING IS A LEGALLY SCHEDULED; 4-DAY PAIRING; THAT STRETCHES THE MARGIN OF SAFETY TO ABSOLUTE BARE MINIMUMS. DURING THE COURSE OF THIS FLT; AS WELL AS THE NEXT NIGHT'S FLT NUMEROUS ATYPICAL ERRORS OCCURRED DUE TO FATIGUE AND OPERATING 'ON THE BACK SIDE OF THE CLOCK.' FOR EXAMPLE; THE ERRORS INCLUDED INITIALLY SETTING AN INCORRECT TRIM SETTING AND DIFFICULTY DETECTING OBSTACLES DURING TAXI. MOST ERRORS WERE TRAPPED BY THE CHKLIST; BUT WE WERE RELYING TOO HEAVILY ON THIS BARRIER. I BELIEVE SEVERAL FACTORS ARE INVOLVED THAT MAKE THIS PAIRING UNACCEPTABLE. FIRST; ON DUTY PERIOD 1; WE ARRIVED AT ABOUT XA00 BODY-TIME; AFTER 2 LONG LEGS; WITH A 2 HR LAYOVER AND ACFT CHANGE IN THE MIDDLE. SECOND; ON DUTY PERIOD 2; WE FLEW UNTIL XT00 WITH A NEAR-MINIMUM OVERNIGHT OF 9 HRS 15 MINS. SO AFTER VERY POOR REST THE FIRST NIGHT; WE HAD TOO-SHORT OF REST (LESS THAN 8 HRS OF SLEEP) THE SECOND NIGHT. I BELIEVE THE FIRST DUTY PERIOD IS WORSE THAN A TRANSATLANTIC FLT; IN THAT THE TRANSATLANTIC FLT STARTS 2 HRS LATER; ARRIVES EARLIER; AND USUALLY HAS A RELIEF PLT. THE BEST SOLUTION TO CORRECT THIS PROB IS TO HAVE A FRESH CREW (EITHER JUST OUT OF AN OVERNIGHT; OR JUST STARTING THE TRIP); FLY THE FLT. AS AN ABSOLUTE MINIMUM; ELIMINATE THE ACFT CHANGE SO THE CREW CAN GET A LITTLE REST PRIOR TO THE NEXT FLT. ALSO AFTER DUTY PERIOD 2; LENGTHEN THE OVERNIGHT; SO WE DON'T HAVE 2 CONSECUTIVE NIGHTS OF POOR REST. IN SUM; I BELIEVE THIS IS THE SINGLE GREATEST SAFETY RISK IN OVER 30 YRS OF FLYING. IT IS AN 'ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN.'