The interesting thing here is that Bitcoin isn't set in stone to forever exist exactly as it does today — it depends on the majority of miners not modifying the protocol. I'm talking about what's essentially a 51% attack, but rather than it being performed by a malicious party, what if a technical/political decision with very strong opinions on both sides had to be made? It would be like a democracy where those with the most computing power win.

Or most money, or depending when it happens, most guns.

I suppose you could try and reach a consensus when possible, rather than have a majority dictatorship.

I wouldn't see any real opposition to changing the protocol to allow mining of lost coins for example if some precise and correct definition of a lost coin could be specified.