They had a substantial headstart, China is really only about two decades into this, and they're just getting warmed up. In the 1960s the economy of North Korea

They had a substantial headstart, China is really only about two decades into this, and they're just getting warmed up. In the 1960s the economy of North Korea was outstripping the South. Cuba seemed also to be doing well. The US was terrified of a “domino effect” where countries would turn communist one by one. That’s one reason it got involved in Vietnam. But look at the North now. Sure China is doing well right now. But let’s see how they handle boom-bust cycles.