Even in reporting and
analyzing seemingly-objective economic data for comparative purposes, political
ideology can creep in if that instinctual urge is powerful enough. Even in
comparisons of political entities that are on the same level (e.g., city,
region/province, kingdom, empire), “word-games” can be used to suggest that the
republics being compared are on different political levels. The use of linguistic
subterfuge is, I submit, underhanded and based on a stubborn refusal to admit
to oneself that the two or more political entities being compared are indeed on
the same level, rather than one being higher than the other. In the case of
comparing GDP and GDP per capita between E.U. and U.S. states, the very fact
that the states are being compared to each other, rather than a state in one
union to another union (as if a state in one political union were equivalent to
another union of states—a category mistake to be sure!), means that the
respective states are in fact equivalent even though different labels are used
according to whether a given state is in one union or another. In arguing these
points, I shall juxtaposition the respective labels to highlight the absurdity
of using different labels for ideological purposes.
The full essay is at "E.U. States and U.S. Economies Compared Economically."
