Complex languages can give the programmer powerful tools to abstract things badly. But those powerful tools can also help make the code clearer if used right. (I'm a real sucker for a map().filter().map().sort().unwrap(), and feel the same logic becomes so unruly to understand if converted to a large loop)

I think the sentiment that we should use simpler languages comes abuse of powerful features. Once we've meta-programmed the entire program logic with a 12 layer deep type tree or inheritance chain... we may realize we abused the tool in a way a simple language would have stopped.

But at the same time...checking a errno() after a function call just because the language lack result type or exception handling, is clearly too simple. A minor increase in language complexity would have made the code much clearer.