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While I agree that Actionscript, Javascript, and Java are all great ways to program on a modern computer, these languages all present problems for people just entering programming. These all have syntax based on the C language, where control structures require a careful syntax that includes semicolons and curly brackets. These are difficult to even SEE on the screen when you're just getting started. BASIC is superior for beginners because control structures are all keywords. FOR ends with NEXT, GOSUB ends with RETURN (or maybe END), and so forth. It's much easier for a beginner to grasp what is going on in such a language.
My preferred languages now are all C-based, but I got a lot of good work done and earned a lot of money in the DOTCOM era with knowledge I gained on an old VIC-20. For those who don't know, the ASP web-server language is very similar to Commodore BASIC, which should come as no surprise because they were both written by the fine folks at Microsoft.
I agree that BASIC should still be available on modern computers and getting to it should be easy and intuitive. In the meantime, though, the skills are being lost and (for parents worried about being supported in a future devoid of Social Security) the salaries of future programmers can only increase.
