Chris,
In Normal Law, the A320 pilot simply eases the stick back to achieve the desired pitch change. That is, he/she initiates and controls the pitch attitude, which is intuitive. Later, as the pilot lowers the pitch and the flaps are progressively retracted, the autotrim will respond to keep the elevator close to neutral, and stick movements will be minimal.
First, the question was "How safe is (airbus) fbw?" so we are talking about the aircraft, not the procedures that bolt on to it, just the aircraft.
I am talking about a fully servicable aircraft, I agree with your summary above of a quietly executed manual G/A, I am, for the purposes of this argument, not interested in Direct Law.
My central point is that a conventional aircraft (ie. not fbw, could be an Airbus 300!) with underwing engines will pitch up when TOGA is applied. Since we are going around this is what we want the aircraft to do! So if the pilot does nothing more than push the thrust levers to TOGA the aircraft will go up!
If the pilot of an airbus FBW does nothing more than push the thrust levers to TOGA then the aircraft will accelerate into the ground. Please DO NOT say that this cannot happen, I am relatively inexperienced at this game, still learning after 36 years at it, and I KNOW that if it can be done then it probably will/has been done!
I have time on 737, 744 and Airbus FBW along with others and have no particular axe to grind in favour of any manufacturer, there are simply certain aspects of Airbus design that I feel are fundamentally flawed, the above example being just one of them.