This (tired) argument successfully says you can build something with anything. But that's not really the topic at hand.
Freaking out on beginners because they're using the "wrong" language is often nominally based upon the notion that what tools you use matter a lot to the results you get. But there are a zillion examples of successful products made with terrible tools. And plenty of examples of very well-engineered failures.
If you, however, believe the end goal is being a well-rounded programmer, it's irrelevant.
In the context of "I'm learning to program," I think one should look more to objective B than objective A.
Further, if being a well-rounded programmer were the goal, then people starting with whatever is fine, because becoming well-rounded means they'll get around to better languages by and by. An I'd add that any programmer who wants to consider themself well-rounded should definitely have used PHP or some equivalently beginner-focused language.
Well I didn't say that. Note the not-so-subtle distinction.
Ultimately it will depend on the beginners' goal however just to highlight one point to beginners with dreams of big exits and start-up goals. The debate about what language is better becomes a moot point when there are clearly large and great companies being built on even the most basic languages.