Python became blub the second the "one true way to do it" mantra was conceived.
Therefore many developers think they are using the most powerful language in the world ("Blub").
So if Python is the most powerful language you know and you don't understand the power of eg. Lisp macros or the Haskell type system, then Python is Blub for you.
If Lisp is you favorite language and you don't understand the power of the Python readability, the concept of "one obvious way" and so on, then Lisp is Blub for you.
my question is, what leads people to believe lisp is so high up on the language power scale?
ps: incidentally, macros are all about readability. if you took all the macros out of your program and substituted them by their macro expansion (by copying and pasting) you would end up with exactly the same program. exactly. it would just be less readable ;)
I don't really believe in a linear power scale though. Some languages are strictly more powerful than others, but there are also (i believe) different axes of power. I mention Haskell, Lisp and Python because they are three very powerful languages, but powerful in different ways. If you think that any one of them are strictly more powerful than the others, then its probably because you don't understand the power of the other.
Related languages like Perl or Lisp with a focus on TMTOWTDI are more immediately gratifying because you can easier tailor the look of the language to your personal preferences. This however have a long term cost to maintainability and sharing in the community.
The power of Python is an emergent property caused by readability and clarity combined with the network effect in the community.
So measured by what the programs do - they are the same. Measured by how well you can evolve the program, the not-expanded version will probably fare better.