For me, they're different 'flavours' of programming and fit on a different chart. The C++/Java/C# line is for static programming with heavy reliance on a compil

For me, they're different 'flavours' of programming and fit on a different chart. The C++/Java/C# line is for static programming with heavy reliance on a compiler -- the idea is that the compiler helps you find lots of errors. In all three languages, getting the program to compile rules out whole rafts of problems. Python and Ruby move that responsibility onto tests -- you run the code to find errors. I think C++/Java/C# fit onto a line, each taking away accidental complexity and adding higher level features. C# iterators and lambdas are a good example the OP mentions, of a high-level feature that makes possible styles not available in Java and C++. (we use C# iterators and lambdas to write in a more functional style than we could in Java)