C is still my first love. You can hold the whole language in your head, and it’s fast. Yes there are footguns but it’s a libertarian programming language - you’re responsible for what you build. No hand holding.
I like that too, but the problem is that C doesn't keep its end of the deal. No hand holding, but make what you are doing transparent. It used to be the case back in the 80s, but not anymore. Not with our optimizing compilers and oodles of UB and spec subtleties and implicit actions.
