When they talk about ranked ballots they’re actually talking about the instant run-off ranked voting system that produces the same aggressive politics, defacto 2-party system, lack of climate action. It’s s actually a downgrade over fptp as it makes it harder for the independents/smaller parties to win seats.
I disagree with the notion that IRV is strictly “a downgrade” over FPTP.
Both FPTP and IRV are winner-take-all systems. However, IRV is superior to FPTP, as the spoiler effect is mitigated. We still have wasted votes in any winner-take-all system, but perhaps of varying degrees of severity.
However, proportional representation (e.g., STV or MMP) is the only way to guarantee fair representation for all.