The reason is that the programming language, in this usage, is not analogous to a single tool (like a hammer).

People build all kinds of complete things with just "C" -- where by this term, I mean the compiler, standard library, build and debug system (make/gdb, say).

There are few things of interest you can build with just a hammer. The evidence for this is that no craftsman builds with just a hammer.

The better analogy to the concept of "C" above is "wood shop" (as opposed to, say, "metal shop", "polymer shop", "electronics shop"). You still get the point, which is that everything out of the wood shop to some degree "looks the same" but it's not so clearly leading the reader to the hoped-for conclusion ("the statement is stupid").