Well, every civilisational leap always brings famine and impoverishment. England itself wasn't the exception - remember the Enclosures and the struggle of Luddi

Well, every civilisational leap always brings famine and impoverishment. England itself wasn't the exception - remember the Enclosures and the struggle of Luddites. China is not an example - it was a great tragedy for China that it was never properly colonised, that could be a way to avoid disasters of the last 200 years, which are given the new trends there, are not about to end any time soon.