to be clear, I am not criticizing the author for not explicitly using the term "zero-sum game"; however dysfunctional the economy may be, it is clearly not that

to be clear, I am not criticizing the author for not explicitly using the term "zero-sum game"; however dysfunctional the economy may be, it is clearly not that. I am criticizing the author for writing about relative gains using language (e.g. "pie", "taking from", "giving up") that is clearly evocative of a zero sum game. it encourages the uncareful reader to conflate absolute and relative gains.