'than' without any comparative component

Hello!

always blessings to you!

I have a question about 'than' without 'more'

Please tell me whether this sentence is right or not

[ One can no more meaningfully speak
of an "American economy" than of a "California economy."]

I think this is a wrong sentence.

'No more' in the sentence means 'no longer' or 'not any longer'

So it is not for 'than,' and 'than' can't be used alone.

And I think it might be replaced with 'rather than' or 'to'

What do you think of this?

If I am wrong and the sentence is right,

Would you give me some more sentences like it?

Thank you so much!

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for more information, the full script is below.

The American economy now exhibits a wider gap between rich and poor than
it has at any other time since World War II. The most basic reason, put
simply, is that America itself is ceasing to exist as an economic system
separate from the rest of the world. One can no more meaningfully speak
of an "American economy" than of a "California economy." America is
becoming only a region of a global economy.