[silverlake]

Among mainstream languages Java is still a good choice. It's easier than C++ and more portable than C#. If you want a dynamic language, you can write chunks of your system in Groovy or Clojure. If you want a strongly typed language with smart features, use Scala. If the build system and frameworks are too big, there's space for someone to design something simpler. There's not much inherent in Java the language that prevents this. The lack of closures is irritating though.