Point was we see two traditions developing:

1. Languages designed to be high-level, readable, optionally easy to compile, work with large programs, have safety, and compile to efficient code.

2. Two languages, BCPL and C, that strip as much of that as possible to compile on an EDSAC and PDP-11 respectively.

Thompson and Ritchie along with the masses went with No 2 while a number of groups with minimal resources went with No 1 with better outcomes. At each step of the way, groups in No 1 were producing better languages with more robust apps. Yet, Thompson et al continue to invest in improving No 2. By present day, most fans of No 2 forget No 1 existed, push No 2 as if it was designed like No 1, and praise what No 2 brought us whereas it actually hampered investments No 1 enabled easily.

Compiler, HW, and OS people should've invested in a small language from No 1 category as Wirth's people did. That Pascal/P got ported to 70 architectures, some 8-bit, tells me No 1 category wasn't too inefficient or difficult either. Just gotta avoid heavyweights like PL/1.