So on Twitter, I posted a photograph of Fidel Castro and – rightly – linked it in a joke to Justin Trudeau. (If you think Pierre Trudeau is Justin’s father, you haven’t read enough).

A response grumbled that this was “bullying” and that basically I should take back my assertion. Which is, of course, ridiculous. Someone who conflates real bullying (which 99% of the time involves actual physical abuse) and political mockery has been badly served by their education.

In the first place, Justin Trudeau is no child. No adult should mock a child. But a 40 something adult who is the leader of the government of a small country is fair game for mockery. Every day.

Mocking politicians and other dissolute public figures has a long and welcome history. Jesus called the provincial king Herod a fox, and you can be sure it wasn’t because Herod was a good guy. In America, we have mocked public figures basically from day one.

And it’s a good habit. Most public officials are people that no one in their right mind would hire to clean their gutters, but every couple of years, we trick ourselves into entrusting these idiots with matters of great importance.

The best news of this interaction was that the woman who called me a bully blocked me on Twitter. Which means I won the discussion.

Lessons? First, admit it when you’re wrong. There’s nothing stupider than someone who’s mistaken who won’t admit it. If you’ve made a mistake, say so. Second, push back against errors on the part of others. Someone who asserts something that’s not true needs correction. And again, someone on social media is or should be an adult, and adults need to learn to interact vigorously and without fear. Finally, blocking somebody in a discussion is childish. If you’re not a child, don’t be childish.