"Programming" is not the same as "hacking".
I can hack away in any new language and produce something that works, and I have the benefit of a programming background and decades of experience.
That said, the areas where a hardcore, professional "programmer" is really needed, are quite few and will be even fewer in the future.
Now in the world we have zillions of software engineers doing the same thing redundantly. In a way the software development industry protects itself not creating the tools to reduce the industry itself. This is a typical innovation dilemma for a whole industry. Not saying that this is conscious but there is a big focus on pleasuring ourselves with new things that continue a well known road of fancy programming languages, etc.