That highly depends on your definition of success. An argument can be made that at least part if not all of the West is failing just as China has to provide a f

That highly depends on your definition of success. An argument can be made that at least part if not all of the West is failing just as China has to provide a free society. At least in the U.S., free speech and other rights have always been argued "for their own sakes" and that's why the constitution sees them as inalienable. These rights do not exist to make society better or people's lives less hard, they exist because the people have decided that they come before government and are essential to life. They have decided that these rights exist a priori. Unfortunately, we have mostly failed to protect them as such even after enshrining them in the constitution. Our government has just failed a little less than China's.