Hey Mike Finucane,
I agree with you, but there is a way on the English-language Wiki to accomplish most of what you are trying to do. The two templates together of "Fair Use" and "Permission Granted" offer a more limited usage. Check out these two images, and read the notice text.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Chip.jpg http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Chip.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Genealogy_of_Antisemitic_White_Supremacy%... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Genealogy_of_Antisemitic_White_Supremacy%2C_Theocracy%2C_and_Fascism.png
Not ideal, but the second tag states " In addition to being usable under fair use, the copyright holder has granted permission for this image to be used in Wikipedia. This permission does not extend to third parties."
So start by putting up relatively low resolution (96 dpi) images for computer display, and then add the two tags.
In theory, this allows use by folks who reproduce Wikipedia as a package (non-profit or for-profit), but would not allow people to lift your images alone for commercial purposes. At least that's how I interpret it.
Others can chime in and say how they think it works. There is still much disagreement over this.
-Cberlet (aka Chip Berlet)