If you think that there is only one web application framework for Java, you just aren't paying attention. There are hundreds and very little agreement on how the few supposedly standard things (like JSP) should be used. It's really not so different from the Perl side.

My approach to the problem of "too many ways to do it" has been to write articles covering a common subject that will help newbies find their way to the right CPAN modules.

By the way, there were several object persistence systems two years ago, and there are tons of them now.