but if the underlying primitives in the problem are vectors/matrices, then it seems like you are reinventing the wheel in a very substandard way that doesn't aid in understanding in any way and results in something that isn't beautiful, isn't high performance, and is confusing for someone to read
You mean like...both of the languages you listed?
There's an obviously superior, faster, simpler language when working with vectors (APL), but people are obsessed with new languages.
If you really think it can be done in Python better than in Haskell, why not demo it in Python? You'll get internet points, and if you're right, you'll have something to show for it.