Anyway, this is clearly not the programming style that Java is optimized
for.
Agreed. If you're doing something in Java that requires a polymorphic static method, you're probably doing something wrong, and should consider a <a href="http://tinyurl.com/a49zj">new</a> <a href="http://tinyurl.com/ihva">strategy</a>\.
The bottom line is that Java has a sufficiently powerful reflection API
that it's entirely possible to do duck-typing style programming when you
need to, just as it's possible to check types up front in Ruby when you
need to, using things like Ara's parseargs library.
Agreed. Well, add "for the most part" to each side.
The bottom line for me is that I, personally, value "dynamicity" over "staticness," and so would like that to be the thing that's easier to do in the language I use.
Devin
Emphasis on "personally."