The kinnot are not magical incantations even according to the most fundamentalist forms of Judaism. So if you have no idea what the hell the kinnot mean then you might as well close your kinnot book and spend your time doing something more worthwhile. Translations are little help because poetry gets lost in translation.
If you don't appreciate 'em you probably missed the point
The kinnot are supposed to be aesthetically pleasing and evocative. If you (like most people nowadays) do not appreciate poetry then you might as well read a holocaust book instead of wasting your time saying repetitive words. No one can force you to appreciate poetry you either do or you don't. The kinnot are clearly aimed at the former.
If you chant 'em you probably missed the point
Its poetry for crying out loud! Say it properly! Anyone who rushes through the kinnot is just being stupid.
If you say all of 'em you probably missed the point
There is no reason to say every kinnah! You choose one or two you like (I recommend Ibn Gabirol's "Shomron"), read it, appreciate it a bit and finish Tisha B'Av services at a reasonable time instead of 12 O'clock or something. Nobody, in most shuls, is even paying attention after the twentieth kinna! Whoever invented the siddur did a great disservice to the Jewish people by making people think that you have to read every word.
So what is the point that you're missing?
I'm not quite sure. If you're a believer then the point is that for some reason or other its a religious duty to feel bad about the destruction of the temple. The kinnot and here is the keyword are a mean to an end not an end themselves. If kinnot fail to be evocative to you then THERE IS NO POINT IN SAYING THEM.
Cummon Orthodoxy be a little creative! Why isn't there a booming industry of Tisha B'Av movies portraying some of our worst tragedies? I'm sure more people would get meaning out of a movie version of The Jewish Revolt than some old Hebrew poems. Where are Tisha B'Av novels and Tisha B'Av plays? Why are we so damn uncreative that the only medium of expression we make use of on this day are poems composed hundreds of years ago! A little variety and creativity!
For the rest of I guess there is little point, except maybe to muse about the long difficult history we Jews lived through and to appreciate the fact that despite it all we managed to not only survive but to thrive!
I for one will be reading Josephus and perhaps sit (on the floor of course!) appreciating some of the better poems in the Tisha B'Av liturgy.
An easy fast everyone!
Edit: My favorite kinna below, (it's so good that it gets said twice in the Tisha B'Av liturgy):
| שׁוֹמְרוֹן קוֹל תִּתֵּן מְצָאוּנִי עֲוֹנַי |
| לְאֶרֶץ אַחֶרֶת יְצָאוּנִי בָנָי |
| וְאָהֳלִיבָה תִזְעַק נִשְׂרְפוּ אַרְמוֹנָי |
| וַתֹּאמֶר צִיּוֹן עֲזָבַנִי יְיָ |
| לֹא לָךְ אָהֳלִיבָה חֲשׁוֹב עָנְיֵךְ כְּעָנְיִי |
| הֲתַמְשִׁילִי שִׁבְרֵךְ לְשִׁבְרִי וּלְחָלְיִי |
| אֲנִי אָהֳלָה סוּרָה בָּגַדְתִּי בְקָשְׁיִי |
| וְקָם עָלַי כַּחְשִׁי וְעָנָה בִי מִרְיִי |
| וּלְמִקְצָת יָמִים שִׁלַּמְתִּי נִשְׁיִי |
| וְתִגְלַת פִּלְאֶסֶר אָכַל אֶת פִּרְיִי |
| חֲמוּדוֹתַי הִפְשִׁיט וְהִצִּיל אֶת עֶדְיִי |
| וְלַחֲלַח וּלְחָבוֹר נָשָׂא אֶת שִׁבְיִי |
| דֹּמִּי אָהֳלִיבָה וְאַל תִּבְכִּי כְּבִכְיִי |
| אֲנִי נַדְתִּי לִרְחוֹק וְדַי לִי זֹאת דַּיִּי |
| שְׁנוֹתַיִךְ אָרְכוּ וְלֹא אָרְכוּ שָׁנָי |
| מְשִׁיבָה אָהֳלִיבָה אֲנִי כֵן מָרַדְתִּי |
| וּבְאַלּוּף נְעוּרַי כְּאָהֳלָה בָּגַדְתִּי |
| דֹּמִּי אָהֳלָה כִּי יְגוֹנִי פֻקַּדְתִּי |
| נָדַדְתְּ אַתְּ אַחַת וְרַבּוֹת נָדַדְתִּי |
| הִנֵּה בְיַד כַּשְׂדִים פַּעֲמַיִם נִלְכַּדְתִּי |
| וּשְׁבִיָּה עֲנִיָּה לְבָבֶל יָרַדְתִּי |
| וְנִשְׂרַף הַהֵיכָל אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ נִכְבַּדְתִּי |
| וּלְשִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה בְּבָבֶל נִפְקַדְתִּי |
| וְשַׁבְתִּי לְצִיּוֹן עוֹד וְהֵיכָל יִסַּדְתִּי |
| גַּם זֹאת הַפַּעַם מְעַט לֹא עָמַדְתִּי |
| עַד לְקָחַנִי אֱדוֹם וְכִמְעַט אָבַדְתִּי |
| וְעַל כָּל הָאָרֶץ נָפוֹצוּ הֲמוֹנָי |
| הַחוֹמֵל עַל דַּל חֲמוֹל עַל דַּלּוּתָם |
| וּרְאֵה שִׁפְלוּתָם וְאֹרֶךְ גָּלוּתָם |
| וְרוֹמֵם קַלּוּתָם וְהָקֵל סִבְלוּתָם |
| רְפָא נָא אֶת שִׁבְרָם וְנַחֵם אֲבֵלוּתָם |
| כִּי אַתָּה שִׂבְרָם וְאַתָּה אֱיָלוּתָם |
| חַדֵּשׁ יָמֵינוּ כִּימֵי קַדְמוֹנַי |
| וְלֹא תֹאמַר צִיּוֹן עֲזָבַנִי יְיָ |
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