For what it's worth the issue of removing the option was raised pretty much immediately during review of the pull request by other Bitcoin Core contributors. It was then also discussed in a separate issue and on the mailing list. Seems like the current momentum is towards changing the default, but keeping the option.

I really like the following gmaxwell quote from 2015: "Since Bitcoin is an electronic cash, it isn’t a generic database; the demand for cheap highly-replicated perpetual storage is unbounded, and Bitcoin cannot and will not satisfy that demand for non-ecash (non-Bitcoin) usage, and there is no shame in that." https://gnusha.org/pi/bitcoindev/CAAS2fgQyVs1fAEj+vqp8E2=FRnqsgs7VUKqALNBHNxRMDsHdVg@mail.gmail.com/

Clearly this is a political issue, it's in the name "policy" itself. I don't think attempting to minimize harm is caving to shitcoins. I think they should be held accountable socially, but we also have to face the fact that them anchoring data in the chain is inevitable.

They don't care if they store it in an OP_RETURN, or an unprunable output for which also no amount extra policy can stop them. They will post it either way. Giving them and others the option of doing so in an OP_RETURN, we at least give them the option to post their data in a way that is prunable.

Indeed, but the reality is that sadly people are doing it.

There could, but there isn't. I for one care about cash on the internet.