The worst part though is that Java developers don't seem to realize this.
As a counter, I humbly submit: Scala, Clojure, Groovy, JRuby, and JPython. A collection of languages that attempt to fix Java's (legion) problems, while allowing us (clueless?) Java developers to remain on a platform that continues to put food on the table.
IMHO, Java developers are the MOST keenly aware of the shortcomings.
BTW, VB does get a lot of hate, but it has a fabulous niche - MS Office COM interop. Down that road lies madness, and a ton of consulting dollars.
I'm going to go with Java. So verbose, so stale. The worst part though is that Java developers don't seem to realize this.