consistency: extending arrays vs. multiplication ?

[Soeren Sonnenburg]

On Sat, 2005-07-23 at 23:35 +0200, Marc 'BlackJack' Rintsch wrote:
> In <mailman.2115.1122136234.10512.python-list at python.org>, Soeren
> Sonnenburg wrote:
> 
> > Just having started with python, I feel that simple array operations '*'
> > and '+' don't do multiplication/addition but instead extend/join an
> > array:
> > 
> > a=[1,2,3]
> >>>> b=[4,5,6]
> >>>> a+b
> > [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]
> 
> Both operate on the lists themselves and not on their contents.  Quite
> consistent if you ask me.

But why ?? Why not have them operate on content, like is done on
*arrays ?

Soeren