> China has managed to lift a large proportion of its citizens in a very short time You're conveniently ignoring the cultural revolution, which caused an ideol

> China has managed to lift a large proportion of its citizens in a very short time You're conveniently ignoring the cultural revolution, which caused an ideological purity spiral resulting in millions dead. China only began to prosper when they relaxed their economic policies and began to allow property/business ownership and international trade (especially with the West) back in.