... but you can't remove major features while retaining compatibility. So for the most part you can only add stuff.

So, people switch to new simpler languages. The way you remove things from a language is to create a new one.

Then these new simpler languages become popular, and then people want their critical favorite bit added. And eventually the language is no longer simpler. And people switch to another new language, and the cycle repeats.

Because we couldn't convince people to just use the existing complex language if they want that. Because, really, this is all a struggle to influence other developers. These days it's not enough to work the way that is best for you, you need to find ways to harness a critical mass of other developers, and at the same time contain the mess and damage that a huge number of miscellaneous developers out in the world can do to your ecosystem.

It kinda sucks. Where possible, I like to use older, less popular, more minimal: libraries, frameworks, tools.