> Have you ever actually tried to teach someone who doesn't know how to program?
Yes.
> It takes months, even when using a simple language like Python. Or even BASIC, which was designed specifically for beginners.
I never said anyone can learn everything there is to programming in a week. I only said anyone can learn the Standard ML language in a week. You might encounter far more difficult things along the way, but they shouldn't be related to Standard ML itself.
Have you ever actually tried to teach someone who doesn't know how to program? It takes months, even when using a simple language like Python. Or even BASIC, which was designed specifically for beginners.
Standard ML is a good language (especially considering when it was developed, in the 1970s). Somehow a cult has grown up around it that prevents people from seeing that it isn't the solution to all problems, just another tool in the toolbox. Sad.