>Maybe not, but I have a hard time to believe that it can be considered even a slight annoyance to anyone but people just learning how to program.
Slight annoyances pile up. Ergonomics matter even for seasoned pros. Just because they have learned to ignore the garbage, doesn't mean their room is clean.
True, but this truly is a non-issue.
Seems like status quo bias. If C did not have this wart, no one would suggest adding it just to "force beginners to think about what they are doing" or "make it easier to get an overview of the code using a text editor".
And human factors matter. In the context of language design, they're the only things that matter - the entire function of a programming language is to make a complicated task fit a human brain as neatly as possible.
Maybe not, but I have a hard time to believe that it can be considered even a slight annoyance to anyone but people just learning how to program. The same people that are annoyed by it probably benefits from it anyway, forces them to actually think about what they are doing.
Also makes it easier to get an overview of the code using just a text editor. KISS.