C makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot. C++ makes it harder, but when you do, it blows away your whole leg.
C++ has not lost touch with C's primary virtues.
It is my firm belief that all successful languages are grown and not merely designed from first principles.
The connection between the language in which we think / program and the problems and solutions we can imagine is very close. For this reason restricting language features with the intent of eliminating programmer errors is at best dangerous.
The main problem for the C++ community today is to use Standard C++ in the way it was intended rather than as a glorified C or a poor man's Smalltalk.
There's an old story about the person who wished his computer were as easy to use as his telephone. That wish has come true, since I no longer know how to use my telephone