I still don't understand...

[misanthrope]

...what is so bad about being labeled a "cynic."

According to Merriam-Webster:
Main Entry: cyn·ic
Pronunciation: 'si-nik
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French or Latin, Middle French cynique, from Latin cynicus, from Greek kynikos, literally, like a dog, from kyn-, kyOn dog —more at HOUND
Date: 1545
1 : capitalized : an adherent of an ancient Greek school of philosophers who held the view that virtue is the only good and that its essence lies in self-control and independence
2 : one who believes that human conduct is motivated by self-interest


Nowhere in there does it say "one who feels mankind cannot rise above a lowly state." That would make one a "pessimist," not a "cynic." Or you could just call them "Republican."

Here's another bit of interest--according to these definitions, many of the philosophers instrumental in shaping Western thought, especially the one worshipped by Christians, are cynics as well.