Clojure feels like a true "next step" after Python, for me. Before Clojure, I casually observed Lisp and thought, "That's nice, but I'd lose the benefits I curr

Clojure feels like a true "next step" after Python, for me. Before Clojure, I casually observed Lisp and thought, "That's nice, but I'd lose the benefits I currently get from Python's standard library." But with Clojure, taking advantage of Java's libraries is almost as good. The power of lisp with a vast library of existing libraries. Is it a good idea to base a language off of another, in the way that Clojure runs on the JVM and relies on Java libraries for the places where there isn't a pure-clojure alternative? I go back and forth, because I don't want to see Clojure take a hit if Java starts plunging. But when I look at it from a more practical perspective, the interop gives Clojure an essential ingredient -- without it, I doubt Clojure would thrive.