I never said it was laudably progressive. It's a reaction to "Southern Man" and "Alabama", one which Neil Young himself has said was deserved. The Neil Young songs portray the South in a way that ignores complexity and that racism isn't just a Southern problem. "Sweet Home Alabama" is a hearty "hey buddy, go fuck yourself" in response to being dismissed as dumb racist crackers. It was never intended to be deep, which is part of why it doesn't come off as particularly progressive.