> I mean from one perspective a conditional in high level code doesn't describe "what is actually happening, either."

Sure, and from another perspective even the most efficient code does nothing to stop the heat death of the universe and is therefore functionally equivalent to doing anything else or nothing at all. However, that's just splitting hairs. It's not really an argument anyway, but rather a preference.

The question is more whether it's a reasonable preference to think syntax X is helpful but syntax Y is hiding things. Thinking deeper might show that the issue is actually familiarity, and the two should be rated the same in terms of abstraction.