It&#x27;s fair, in a sense that it&#x27;s <i>possible</i> to implement cost-free abstractions in C++.<p>However, you have to know what you&#x27;re doing: some of the C++ abstraction mechanisms will cause the compiler to insert executable code at places a C programmer might find unexpected (e.g constructor and destructor calls).<p>In one word, you still have to learn how to use the language properly, and it&#x27;s difficult - but definitely worth it.<p>Interestingly enough, some of the abstraction mechanisms provided by C++ (templates, inheritancy, polymorphism, ...) can also be partially simulated in C, with a lot of effort (the Linux kernel makes a heavy use of them (macro-powered)).<p>It&#x27;s just that C++ makes those things easy to do ... allowing your incompetent teammates to easily shoot <i>you</i> in the foot.