> I don't think I buy that. It's hard to build a nice web app without JS, but an informational website doesn't need JS to be beautiful.

It's not that I disagree with the premise, but you should understand that the "informational website" scenario tends to apply only to a subset of a website's requirements. As soon as you stumble upon any need that goes beyond what static HTML can provide, you are faced with the decision to either create tech sprawl and a patchwork of ad-hoc solutions, or you just bite the bullet and onboard a framework that handles all your needs.