>could design the programming language [...], without any compromises, That goal isn't possible because designing syntax to make certain tasks "easy & simple"

>could design the programming language [...], without any compromises, That goal isn't possible because designing syntax to make certain tasks "easy & simple" inevitably means you're making some other task hard & complicated. That's why there isn't a One True Programming Language to end all other languages because you can't design perfect syntax to handle everything from low-level embedded all the way up to 4GL and scripting. So a language designer would have to know upfront what the technical compromises will be even when starting from scratch with a clean sheet for a brand new language.