Having spoken with one of the people who works on Dart, the idea is not to kill an open standard (why would Google do that?), but rather to fix the horrible mess that is Javascript.
Same thing for the shutdown of Reader - how does that prevent you from using any other RSS reader?
Controlling the language gives you unique power over the whole ecosystem. Google gets to decide what is permissible, and what is not. Google is tearing out their OpenWeb support and building walled gardens.
The more Dart becomes popular, the more we become locked in to Google, and the more our options and possibilities are constrained.
That's right. Linus defines what is possible. Witness the recent UEFI controversy. Had Microsoft (or Google) been in charge of Linux, you'd have to obtain a corporate license just to boot a freeware OS. The entity that controls the foundation technology is vitally important.
So-called enhancements like UEFI or Dart are always introduced with benign intentions. "to make the web more secure" "to improve performance" "to protect the children" The end result is more corporate control, more centralization, fewer options for individuals and small organizations.
A bunch of people who have downvoted my anti-Dart posts are Dart engineers. I think Dart engineers are really smart, and have produced a great technology. I don't think Dart engineers are scheming to bring down Javascript.
But I don't think Reader engineers built their product with a plan to wipe out alternative readers and damage RSS. I don't think Calendar engineers planned to vacuum up the competition then remove the CalDAV option to migrate their data. But that's what happened. It would be a shame if Javascript were similarly compromised.