> China managed to go from peasantry in the grip of communism

Communism is what brought China out of peasantry. They were literally peasants for a couple thousand years, then they became Communists at which their standard of living started to improve and never stopped. Admittedly the Communism became a lot less Communist, but to paint Communism something that existed at the same time or even as a contributor to peasantry was weird.

> policies in the West since the end of the cold war have been an absolute disaster

The US adopted socialist policies after shattering the organized left, pouring money into the safety net, elevating unions, and subsidizing housing, health care, education and technological innovation. In the late-70s to the early-80s it gradually stopped, and that's why we have what we have now.

> It is enough to make you wonder if it is the politicians or the voters who are more evil and incompetent.

What?