>And they criticize the US for not making real progress with regard to those issues.

This is the only part of your statement which really bothers me. The use of the phrase real progress is not justified. It suggests one is better than another and more often than not it is a matter of choice, political views, attitudes, and preference. It is a phrase the left uses when they can't substantiate their policies with real evidence of their merits so they try to sell it as 'progress.'