That is true, but there's a flip side problem with this way of thinking: it can lead to a race to the bottom mentality in which improvements are argued against

That is true, but there's a flip side problem with this way of thinking: it can lead to a race to the bottom mentality in which improvements are argued against by comparison to those worse off. "Workers in America don't need better pay or benefits, they're already wealthy by world standards!" "Workers in China don't need basic safety protections and sane work hours, they're already better off than workers in sub-Saharan Africa!"