this may have been mentioned before but here is my theory:

star wars has become such an obsessive phenomenon that the very ppl who became rich and famous from it actually despise it now. i remember an interview with carrie fisher a few years ago and she was pissed off with fanatics coming up to her and worshipping her like a real princess leia. they had no idea the power these films would have. i think the destruction of the original cuts and the refusal to release them along with the painfully bad new films is a deliberate attempt by lucas to destroy his own creation and therefore putting an end to our obsessive behaviour.