My contention to this debate is simple, and I think others will agree with me (though many are not in the intersango thread), that if you have the bitcoin then you are the rightful owner (unless you stole the wallet), because those bitcoin must be digitally signed to you for you to have possession. Bitcoin possession = ownership
Some people have mentioned other virtual currency cases. Someone mentioned items stolen from an MMO account, for example. I'm not sure that metaphor holds as that usually means stolen via some form of hacking of account information. This case is more like demanding the courts refund a sale you accidentally made on the WoW auction house because of a buggy addon. Bitcoin has its own rules and no higher power to appeal to, what's done is done.
If you want the government to act like an MMO company and work out all these disputes for the users, you don't have the same idea of bitcoin as I do. The lack of government control is one of the main benefits.