Exactly! C++, well used, is largely a vertical language, not a low-level or high-level one. That's why it's easy to create a fairly big system entirely in C++. And having worked with such a system, I can say that it's quite comfortable, in some ways that most so-called "higher-level" languages don't offer. For example, your comment about refactoring is absolutely spot-on.

Most criticisms of C++ rely on outdated prejudices. Some people still think that modern C++ code is rife with pointers to void and reinterpret_casts.