[smadge]

Your site will be much more usable in developing countries with low spec mobile devices and high latency, low bandwidth networks if you design it to function first without JavaScript. You will reduce page weight, and client side CPU usage.

[plugnburn]

Client-side CPU usage, as well as page weight, isn't a problem if JS is done right. Angular-like bloatware certainly ruins all the zen. But that doesn't mean you should rush to another margin and make everything server-side. Modern web technologies allow you to keep everything beautiful, smooth AND lightweight. But in order to achieve that, you'll need to learn more than a couple of bloatware libs like angular or jquery. In fact, you need to forget them and start thinking for real. And study, study and once more study MDN manuals.

Language doesn't make Web slow and bulky. People do.

[smadge]

Agreed! Learning the latest and greatest library isn't going to make you a better developer. I'm not saying client side scripting has no place on the web, I'm just saying for many purposes its place is overrated, and that basic functionality can be provided through hypermedia alone.