So why Haskell and not, for instance, SML? I guess SML is not necessarily pure, but it certainly a much simpler language than Haskell.
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Without purity, you have the power to express a lot more, burdening the reader.
Purity lets you easily and arbitrarily constrain a function or program -- easing the burden for the reader who is free to assume so much more about what they read.
SML can do this well with embedded DSLs, but effect typing is a powerful tool for this idea.
Simplicity means power, that's the problem.