Enterprise pursuits are often about things much different than technical excellence. They're about things like cover-your-ass, long-term support contracts, and solutions sold not directly to end users but to managers far removed from it.

In such an environment, it's the old adage that "nobody got fired for buying IBM". The technical merits are far less important than the appearance of making a good choice. And what better appearance than having Oracle or Microsoft's stamp on the box.

This worldview then relates perfectly with the notion that programmers must be protected from themselves. And through statically typed analysis and restrictions, we can ensure that it's less likely that people hang themselves with the ropes of freedom.