programming environment that comes close to VFP does not currently exist.
This is true. But - as I read the UT login bytes - I note M$ is reviewing it's business plan. I could see nothing more positive for M$, us (the vfp community) and application users than M$ treating prospects as customers instead of a market.

Flagship is just the old clipper.
I remember "FlagShip" from the Clipper days - but back then I was Borland and WordTech. It's biggest market are UNIX/foxbase system shops (trundle box and applications) that do not want to pay for a foxbase license.

check out what LinuxCanada did with C++ for Quasar. One of the fastest accounting interfaces I have ever seen. Using the interface three thousand away from the source was almost un-believeable.
I Will!
I have never looked into C++ for GUI - mostly DLL and hardware interfaces. I do remember BASIC projects where I had to invent a library that included stuff we never think about, like what should happen when the backspace key is pressed,etc. I can only assume that (even for Linux) this stuff is part of the package.