I have a strongly negative reaction to straw man arguments. Maybe I can be more helpful: Being a programmer is like being a novelist. You need to be able to

I have a strongly negative reaction to straw man arguments. Maybe I can be more helpful: Being a programmer is like being a novelist. You need to be able to construct a plot, but you also need a powerful vocabulary. I'm saying C helps develop your computer vocabulary, and you're saying the programming analog of "but it doesn't tell you how to invent interesting characters!" Totally different parts of a useful experience.