"Language for people who are not programmers but who need to instruct computers to do things" is the definition I work with. Scratch, BASIC, etc., aren't really suited to that role. No-one who's just trying to munge some files wants to be told "OK first learn this language that isn't useful for you, and then you can learn a language that is". Hence why practically, Python tends to fill the "beginner" role, which is unfortunate due to its complexity.

It's true Basic was designed to be a beginner's language; but in practice, what exactly is easier in Basic? (Even disregarding Dijkstra's assertions that Basic "mutilates the mind", because I suspect he would have held the same opinion of Python!)

The "immediacy" is there in both languages (well, in Python and modern Basic without line numbers): you can just type code without any rituals or mumbo jumbo and it will do more or less what you tell it to.