merits of Lisp vs Python

[Paul Rubin]

Robert Brown <bbrown at speakeasy.net> writes:
> Does this make Lisp "less dynamic" than Python?  Espen would say it's not
> less dynamic, but rather that a similar level of dynamism is achieved in
> Common Lisp via well defined interfaces.  The compiler knows the interfaces,
> so it can do a better job optimizing the code.

I'd say Python is more dynamic in the sense that the Python runtime
system has to actually concern itself about the dynamism all the time
in practice, i.e. on every object method invocation.  The Lisp runtime
only has to think about it when the application calls specific
functions in those interfaces.  The rest of the time, it can use
various optimizations like compile-time analysis and caching.  I do
not consider this contrast to be in Python's favor.