Bitcoin needs to be able to handle 5000 transactions per second, eventually.
Was that "eventually" intentional? Do you think the limit should be set
now to accommodate the anticipated
future volume? If so, are you not concerned with the incentive structure you are imposing between now and then? Or did you think that the limit should be dynamically adjusted as we go, to (almost) accommodate the growth?
It's just a judgement call.
If you think the problem will go away before getting there, for some external development - say, Ripple integration or some other hybrid solution becoming common - then yeah, you can opt for Luke's patch and the problem is delayed for likely several years.
If you think this moment is as good as any other to press the community into looking for a solution, then you don't touch the block soft limit and you keep accepting all transactions.
Honestly, I think having people pay fees for the right to bloat the blockchain is something we should do sooner rather than later.
Bitcoin simply doesn't compete with paypal at this point. Only marginally if at all.