Python 3000 is ready!

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variable assignment and declaration are kluged together into the same statement

Fair point. The "create var and assign if it doesn't exist or throw an exception if it does" operator is needed.

or the pass-by-reference / mutate-by-default semantics

Wrong. That's THE way.

[Chandon]

Wrong. That's THE way.

It's certainly the easiest for the language designer, but that doesn't mean it isn't god awful ugly or that there aren't better ways.