[tifo_gcs]

I follow your argument, but in that case it would seem that the elves under Gil-galad joined into alliance with men to prevent Sauron from ruining their little "Middle Earth snapshot." In that case, why do they not then resume the fight in the third age? Is it because they have given up trying to hold onto Middle Earth already?
And the view of the elves which you present strikes me as almost too cynical. They are naive when it comes to losing anything yes, but it seems to me that the elves in the house of Elrond spend as much time wishing they were back across the sea with all the sinnging of songs from the Blessed Realm. I contend that it comes down to wanting what you cannot have. The elves were immortals put in a world where everything else was mortal. The majority of them were led out by the Valar, taken to a land where everything was like them, pretty much unchanging. And remembering Midle Earth where things were different, they always wanted to back, and did so when they got the chance, because different is always intrigueing (just can't spell that). But then they try it and it brings them nothing but trouble and sorrow. They find out that the grass isn't quite as green as they thought, until at the end, they want to escape again.
Note that as Sauron's power rises, the elves leave for the west in increasing numbers, and I don't think they feel it's that heartbreaking. Why? because if they wanted to stay, they would have fought Sauron. Being immortal in some ways, I do not see why they should have feared him. He had already been defeated once. So they leave because they cannot be bothered with Middle Earth anymore, all but a few, who like Elrond and Galadriel decide that they still have some responsibility for what happens in Middle Earth, and try to fight Sauron.