[trb8]

I would be hesitant of this so easily accepting this view due to selection bias.

Java and C++ are often found in huge, legacy, or enterprise oriented code bases.

The are plenty of ways to use the abstractions in Java and C++ to write nice code. Just like it is possible to find a Scala or Clojure code base that went crazy with the usage of "cutting edge" features and abstractions in those languages.

And at least with Java, your IDE will always be able to navigate the code effectively.

[jeremiep]

I completely agree it takes discipline and experience to write clean code in any language.

What I'm saying is that it takes more discipline to cleanly use Java or C++ than it does to use Haskell or Clojure. For the simple reason that most of the abstractions provided by the former languages add to the program's complexity rather than remove it.

There's an excellent explanation by Rich Hickey in Simple Made Easy: http://www.infoq.com/presentations/Simple-Made-Easy