Pricisely. You've read the EU, how long did it take to fully establish the New Republic as the dominant seat of power? It certainly didn't happen that night. I'm not saying everyone loved the Empire. But the impression the SE gives is that its reviled. If everyone loves the Rebels, then dopesn't that make Star Wars about a galxy trying to overthrow a madman who somehow built a huge fleet and took over Coruscant? I thought it was about a small group of insurgents trying to restore a previous politcal ideal due to the unjustness of the current one. It gives the whole nobel/hopeless cause feeling.
There was this awesome post on macrossworld.com that's kind of related.

Quote
With begs of pardon to the Pythons:

Luke: Yeah, all right, Han. Don't labor the point. And what has the Empire ever given us in return?
Rebel2: Skinned prostheses?
Luke: What?
Rebel2: Skinned prostheses.
Luke: Oh yeah, yeah. They did give us that. That's true, yeah.
Rebel3: And sanitation.
Leia: Oh yeah, the sanitation, Luke . Remember what the planets used to be like.
Luke: Yeah, all right, I'll grant you the skinned protheses (looks at own hand) and the santation are two things the Empire has done...
Lando: And the guarded hyperspace lanes.
Luke: Well, yeah. Obviously the hyperspace lanes, I mean the hyperspace lanes go without saying, don't they? But apart from the sanitation, the skinned protheses, and the well regulated hyperspace lanes...
Rebel4: Ability to destroy planets.
Rebel2: Medicine.
Rebel5: Academy Education.
Luke: Yeah, yeah, all right. Fair enough...
Rebel1: No Gungans.
Rebels: Oh, yeah <mumbled agreement>
Wedge: Yeah. Yeah, That's something that we'd really miss, Luke, if the Empire left, huh.
Rebel6: Better ship designs.
Leia: And it's safe to walk the in streets at night now, Luke.
Han: Yeah, they certainly know how to keep order. Let's face it, the only ones who could in a place like this.
Rebels: Huhuhuh. Huhuhuhuhuh.
Luke: All right. But apart from the sanitation, the medicine, the Academy, no Gungans, public order, the ability to destroy planets, guarded hyperspace lanes, better ship designs, and realistically skinned prostheses... What has the Empire ever done for us?
Rebel2: Brought peace?
Luke: Oh, peace. Shaddup.