The way that C memory management works is a design decision. that design decision had criteria that informed it...it's no more or less valid than other design decisions that are made in the face of other criteria. It's no more "low level" that lot's of other methods that have been/are being used.

ufo got my point. the modern microprocessor is vastly different than the view of the world that is exposed through C. The fact that C still works is more of a testament to hardware designers than it is something "intrinsically true" about C and its design decisions.