For one thing C++ is a more difficult beast ... which is why you aren't using it yet and you are defending BASIC
I've been programming avidly for 24 years and pick up languages easily, I may not be the brightest rock in the mountain range but i've been sat on my perch for a long time and experience does have it's benefits.
I finished my first Blitz3D game, which was good enough to make a magazine coverdisk, a day after buying the language. I've used C++ and found the datahandling a doddle, but I did not persevere as far as anything graphical and havn't touched it again since - I considered it the wrong tool for the job because I write games as a hobby, at home, by myself.
You mention a pyramid to describe the skill levels of programmers of each development platform. Well ... as it works with programmers walking up the pyramid BASIC is often the first step ... and C++ among others are above that.
The reason I use BASIC is out of choice.
I think that I can code the ass off a lot of C++ programmers (i'm not implying you), in fact I know I can because i've seen the dross that gets knocked out by some of the C++ community. I can get better results using whatever tools I choose then a lot of the shortsighted wonna-be's who limit themselves to "professional" tools.
I've not intentionally defended BASIC above, what i've been defending is games written in BASIC. If they're good games then why shouldn't a C++ programmer take note on open programming forums if not for the game than for the very reasons you quote...
...If I can make a game using my "Death Star" that dribbles over some Padawan and his force skills, then doesn't that meen i'm doing more with less and correspondingly deserve more attention?
Of course not, what matters is the final result. The fact that some BASIC games dribble all over some C++ games is the reason that they deserve attention and not because the BASIC programmer who wrote it is clearly leagues above average.
Whether you believe it or not there's some C++ programmers who could learn a lot from some of the BASIC programmers in the various communities - just because a doughnut programmes in C++ doesn't make him anything other than a doughnut.
Therein lies the issue, because there's a lot of doughnuts in all the programming communities including the C++ world. In fact, as C++ is the "professional" tool i've found a lot more doughnuts on C++ boards because of the "wonnabe" effect.
So I consider your pyramid of C++ programmers being above BASIC programmers rather laughable. It might apply to your own progression, but it certainly doesn't cover all programmers or indeed anywhere near the majority.