What is important is to take start with a very real problem that should be resolved in this universe, then project the discussion into a very close but different one and argue there.
Now it doesn't matter if you win or lose in that universe because it doesn't matter. It isn't our reality.
Well the purpose of such hypotheticals is to isolate a smaller part of the problem and examine it more closely outside of the larger context, to decompose the matter at hand in order to more easily get a grasp. I think there's value to that, of course as you pointed out only as an aside to the larger discussion, not as a replacement.
The person you originally quoted did mark their post as a nitpick.
