Don't the other languages add additional complexity by folding such things in though? If the core system is simple then you will inevitably want to bring in various modules in order to simplify the particular task you're working on right then. Integrating those modules adds its own complexity.
Meanwhile, the complexity to support a more advanced core system has to show up somewhere. Someone has to do the complex tasks at some point. For example, in the case of Java even the simplest "hello world" program requires an absolutely enormous runtime environment including the infrastructure for an entire VM.
Don't the other languages add additional complexity by folding such things in though? If the core system is simple then you will inevitably want to bring in various modules in order to simplify the particular task you're working on right then. Integrating those modules adds its own complexity.
Meanwhile, the complexity to support a more advanced core system has to show up somewhere. Someone has to do the complex tasks at some point. For example, in the case of Java even the simplest "hello world" program requires an absolutely enormous runtime environment including the infrastructure for an entire VM.