An economy or a society

Previously I have argued the neo-liberal mindset means our leaders cease to think of the country in terms of a society but instead regard it as an economic unit, engaged in a (strangely mercantilist) struggle against other economic units.

Well, on today's BBC R4 Today programme C. Grayling was talking about the UK Government's attitude to proposed European legislation on data protection, including the misnamed (and hence misunderstood) 'right to be forgotten'. Grayling said the Government had reservations and wanted the regulation to be in the form of a Directive - to allow each member state to adapt it to the needs of their economy. Not society, surely the natural word to use here, but economy!