Java syntax is modelled after CeeLanguage, which is intended to promote programmer portability. Since CeeLanguage was set in 1972, improved syntaxes have been presented.

 Better syntax       -> greater clarity, fewer lines of code.
 Fewer lines of code -> less writing, lower initial cost.
 Greater clarity     -> lower maintenance cost.
 Lower cost          -> more value.

Look how well Python and C# (CsharpLanguage) have done. Java could do better. As a matter of fact, I think this is a key value that people are ignoring. It is much more important than this castings/cloneable stuff.

''Huh? CsharpLanguage also borrows its syntax from C.''

* I'm an old C guy. Frankly, I'm a lot happier in just about any language than Java. I think its syntax has improved since 1.5 ... but it's still a verbose and overblown piece of hacked on munge-bait. "Fewer lines of code" is particularly ridicuolous. Go learn RubyLanguage and WpFe and let java die its long overdue death. Even CeePlusPlusIsBetterThanJava. So there.
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See also: IsBreakStatementArchaic, ItsTimeToDumpCeeSyntax