HeathrowAirport -
Don't discount the effects of #engines. I have seen plenty of pax count them on their fingers before boarding. I'd like to encourage you to continue to ask good questions, stay objective, and don't take casual commentary to the Bank. When ETOPS was proposed, a healthy percentage of pilots were questioning the format, some still do.
Don't allow your questions to be dismissed out of hand, certainly not on the Internet.
Having said that, there is no reason whatever to mistrust ETOPS. Make up your own mind.
Will