C++ haters: What about performance?
I don't think C++ is going down the pan any time soon, simply because of one thing: If you have performance-critical systems then C++ is a sound choice. There's no interpreter, unpredictable JIT or garbage collection. It has proven success record, excellent support (paid and free) and huge developer community.
OS development, real time systems, network software and drivers: Without C++ they would slow your whole system down and instead people would be complaining about "too many layers of cr@p, inefficient software, I remember when..., etc).
C++ is here to stay and keeps doing its job.
BTW I'm not a C++ evangelist, I like Python too.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
