I'm not sure what the Language Squint Test is supposed to tell me here. I can clearly see the structure of the Lisp code, too. It's only half as long as the Java one, which is great for reading. A single character can completely change the meaning of an entire block of Java code, too -- that has nothing to do with macros.
> I claim that this squint test is important, and that languages should deliberately make different constructs look different.
For your example, you just happened to pick a programming language you already know well. If this is a beneficial goal, why pick that particular point on the spectrum? Java and Lisp aren't the only games in town. It would be a remarkable coincidence if the language you already know were the optimal point.
COBOL's constructs look even more distinct from each other. A COBOL programmer probably thinks your Java methods all look the same despite having completely different calling conventions. After all, COBOL was definitely designed for "us good ole' humans".
> I claim that this squint test is important, and that languages should deliberately make different constructs look different.
For your example, you just happened to pick a programming language you already know well. If this is a beneficial goal, why pick that particular point on the spectrum? Java and Lisp aren't the only games in town. It would be a remarkable coincidence if the language you already know were the optimal point.
COBOL's constructs look even more distinct from each other. A COBOL programmer probably thinks your Java methods all look the same despite having completely different calling conventions. After all, COBOL was definitely designed for "us good ole' humans".