[Johnny_Brahms]

R7rs small is a language in the spirit of r5rs. R5rs large will have a specified low level macro facility, probably syntax-case in one form or the other.

The smaller standard does not specify a low level macro facility. That doesn't mean that an implementation won't have one. No scheme has syntax-rules only.

I agree that the defmacro is simpler, but nobody said otherwise. The nest macro is more or less perfect for defmacro since it doesn't need hygiene.

If defmacro is so Important, there are several schemes with it out there, and if you really need it it is trivially implemented using low level hygienic macro facilities.