You fail to make a crucial distinction, sinkspur.
There is a difference between the NO celebrated according to the GIRM and the NO as it is adlibbed in far too many parishes.
There is also a difference in the use of Latin as recommended by the Second Vatican Council and the disuse of Latin that has occurred as a result of disobedience and adlibbing.
The bare assertion that the Novus Ordo Missae is a superior rite of Mass to the Tridentine is a matter for legitimate disagreement, and no one should be called a modernist for preferring the NO.
The fact remains, however, that if the NO were celebrated according to the GIRM every Sunday in Latin as Sacrosanctum Concilium recommends, there would be almost no sedevacantists, schismatics, etc. The NO is perfectly capable of maintaining the atmosphere of solemn dignity and reverence.
The self-hating Catholics in the USCCB chanceries and ICEL tried to warp the Mass beyond recognition at light speed and they were unable to pull it off successfully - but they did succeed in driving many Catholics underground with their disobedient behavior.
If every bishop permitted their priests to celebrate the Tridentine Rite and refrained from stigmatizing the priests who chose to celebrate it, I can't imagine the SSPX could stay in operation.
I disagree with this completely. If you read the schismatics carefully, most of them will accept nothing short of the restoration of the Tridentine Mass, the suppression of the Novus Ordo (GIRM or otherwise), and the complete repudiation of Vatican II. If the Church acceded to a universal indult, the SSPX would still hold out because the Church was still corrupted by Vatican II. I'm convinced there would be a hardcore of SSPXers who wouldn't return under any circumstances due to simple pride.
I've also detected, in some of the posting of those who favor a return to the Tridentine Mass and who attend the Novus Ordo, a secret hope that the Novus Ordo will, at some point, be seen as an aberration and be suppressed.
Now, I would oppose this vehemently, but I would attend whatever Mass the Church approves, because it is THE EUCHARIST that is important, after all. But any attempt to reimpose the Tridentine Mass would drive Catholics out of the Church who prefer worshipping God in their native tongue.
If every bishop permitted their priests to celebrate the Tridentine Rite and refrained from stigmatizing the priests who chose to celebrate it, I can't imagine the SSPX could stay in operation.
I don't think bishops would stigmatize priests who want to celebrate the Tridentine Mass. I really don't.
But I do firmly believe that there are just not that many priests who would celebrate the Tridentine Mass (no matter what your anecdotal experience happens to be) and the thought of Mass in Latin hasn't crossed the minds of 95% of Catholics who attend Mass every Sunday. Most of them would welcome it as an occasional novelty, but would not attend a Latin Mass on a regular basis.
But, I agree. The Tridentine Mass should be offered, but not jammed down anybody's throat. That's the mistake the Church made in the 1960s, and it should not make it again.