I think he's taking a widely-accepted idea -- that the C++ language is a complicated language -- and making the unfounded leap that most C++ code is just as complicated.

For starters, the standard C++ string type is reference-counted, something that leans more toward convenience and simplicity than maximum performance. Well-designed C++ libraries that don't need to push the performance envelope are often pleasant to use.

Maybe the author wants things to be even simpler, but he's gotta provide examples. Or at least describe what his ideal Top C++ would consist of. That's the hard part. Simply saying "we should make a simple version of C++ that still lets you do low-level stuff when you want" seems vacuous.