There’s a clear campaign against the mentally ill with the global rise of fascism. Lots of it shows up in anti homeless rhetoric, but you can see it in the MAHA and anti vaccination movements.
There’s no reason to use the word “r-tarded” to describe someone. As someone who’s worked with the intellectually challenged, it’s an insult to them to compare them with people who are willfully ignorant.
No, an underhanded compliment/insult is not nearly as insulting as calling someone mentally disabled and using a slur to do it. I’m saying that as someone from the south where that phrase gets used often. I understand the context well.