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@tom.
Actually, the war memorial analogy is quite reasonable.
The vast majority of people who get killed in active service made an informed decision to join the fight, an activity which will result in one side dying. I don't cycle with the intention that anyone should die, as I would imagine is the case with most cyclists, so if anything ghost bikes are less trite than war memorials.
Also, I appreciate the efforts made by the people that served in both World Wars, but they are not the only wars that these memorials commenorate. The fact that you only mention WW2 is interesting, as I didn't. I've seen memorials (mainly in churches) for campaigns which were little more than displays of might during the period of the British Empire.
And ghost bikes will, if they become more common place, save lives. They remind cyclists of their vulnerability, which may stop some gumby from trying to undertake a lorry, which is a life saved. They also remind motorists that cylists use the road too, which might make someone check their blind spot better, which is another life saved.
I resent the suggestion that cyclists should have to "take their chances". Also, I dispute the suggestion that a ghost bike it a memorial; they are no more memorials to dead cyclists than lighthouses are to dead sailors. If people wish to remember their friends at the same time, sobeit, but I think that regardless of any cyclists' wishes regarding memorials, the dangers to cyclists should be made visiable in some way and I think that ghost bikes are an elegant solution.