The increase in productivity, we can all agree on, but a non-negligible portion of HN users would say that each one of those new languages made programming progressively less fun.
I think where people will disagree is how much productivity those steps brought.
For instance I think the step from machine code to macro assembler is bigger than the step from a macro assembler to C (although still substantial), but the step from C to anything higher level is essentially negligible compared to the massive jump from machine code to a 'low level high level' language like C.
So many other things happened at the same too, so it's sometimes hard to untangle what is what.
For instance, say that C had namespaces, and a solid package system with a global repo of packages like Python, C# and Java have.
Then you'd be able to throw together things pretty easily.
Things easily cobbled together with Python often aren't attributable to Python the language per se, but rather Python, the language and its neat packages.
Python is a step backwards in productivity for me compared with typed languages. So no I don't think we all agree on this. You might be more productive in Python but that's you not me.
The increase in productivity, we can all agree on, but a non-negligible portion of HN users would say that each one of those new languages made programming progressively less fun.