SPD DEV BY A B757 FLT CREW DURING A HIGH RATE OF DSCNT ON THE MITTS ARR INTO LAX.

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ATC (CTR) DIRECTED US DIRECT CIVET -- LAX AT FL390. WE ASKED SEVERAL TIMES TO GET LOWER; AS WE WERE BEING HELD TOO HIGH TO MAKE A NORMAL DSCNT INTO CIVET. WE ASKED SEVERAL TIMES WHAT ARR WE WOULD GET AND WERE TOLD 'DIRECT LAX FROM CIVET FOR NOW; BUT IT WILL EITHER BE THE CIVET OR MITTS ARR.' FINALLY; BEFORE HDOF TO SOCAL APCH; WE WERE TOLD (JUST OUTSIDE OF CIVET) TO MAINTAIN 320 KTS OR GREATER. THE COMBINATION OF LATE DESIGNATION OF APCH; HIGH RATE OF SPD AND DSCNT TO MAKE THE XING ALTS CONTRIBUTED TO POOR SPD CTL. ALSO; THE LATE DESIGNATION OF THE APCH MADE SETTING THE COCKPIT UP QUICKLY DIFFICULT. WE SLIGHTLY OVERSHOT CIVET IN OUR TURN-ON TO COURSE. AT ABOUT 8000 FT; THE CTLR ASKED WHAT OUR AIRSPD WAS. I HAD SET IDLE PWR AND EXTENDED SPD BRAKES TO MAKE A 180 KT SPD ASSIGNMENT JUST GIVEN. WE HAD 260 KTS ON OUR INDICTOR AT THAT POINT; AND WERE VECTORED OFF THE APCH. ONCE SLOWED; WE WERE VECTORED BACK ONTO THE APCH WITH LAX. IT WOULD BE FAR SAFER TO ALLOW ACFT TO DSND INTO CIVET AT A NORMAL RATE; NORMAL SPDS; AND GIVE EARLY WARNING AS TO WHAT ARR TO EXPECT. UNLIKE TODAY; WHEN THE ARR IS A SECRET UNTIL THE LAST MIN; AND THE DSCNTS ARE HELD UP AND THE SPD IS KEPT HIGH. THE WORKLOAD CAN EXCEED STANDARDS. THE BEST RESPONSE I SHOULD HAVE GIVEN IS 'UNABLE TO COMPLY;' 'PLEASE VECTOR US OFF THE ARR UNTIL NORMAL DSCNT CAN BE MADE.'