This text, especially arguments against, bases on the strong distinction between programming languages' syntax and semantics. Let me come up quickly with two examples of fuziness between syntax and semantics of programming languages, how the syntax affected the semantics.

While the semantics frequently does not vary within a given paradigm, sometimes a different syntax gives you completely different point of view. For instance, Polish notation, also known as prefix notation, makes it easy to come up with s-expressions, what turns out to change the way we think about programming.

Also, programming languages' syntax can work as reward&punishment tools. A hash is slighty the same hash in all programming languages. Neverthless, dynamic languages made it so easy to manipulate on them that in many ways they've dominated the programs written in those languages.

It is also important to remember that a language is not an abstract contruct. It has its uses, existing design patterns, good practices, as well as existing libraries. "Meaning just is use". Even if you can say nearly everything in all languages, sometimes it is harder to say one thing in another.

(as a boring guy I must say that I feel sorry that such indirectly thought provoking post got only 7 points, lossing popularity with the Vista problem)