Let's say you are sitting in your office for 8 hours. In one case you could leave but probably won't - in the other case your boss puts a lock on your door for those 8 hours. Would that make a difference to you?
Poor analogy. And I don't think there needs to be an analogy; the issue is already quite simple.
The USA's political system is substantially less free than many other nations. In turn, China is substantially less free than the US. Whether equating the two is really hyperbolic is debatable - functionally speaking, vested interests are allowed to run unchecked in both countries.
The main difference really lies in the source of power. In China, the Party runs the show and corporations fall into line. In the US it's the opposite, where corporations hold sway over the white house.
China at least has aspirations to lift the living standards of all its citizens. It's not easy but they're getting there - compare China with India for instance. Can't say the same for the US.
> In China, the Party runs the show and corporations fall into line.
The corporations can always bribe into the party, and many of the corporations are owned by princelings (or say Wen Jiaobao mom's jewelry empire that got NYT blocked). I would say that China is much worse in that regard.
> China at least has aspirations to lift the living standards of all its citizens.
Income inequality is only getting worse, not better. All boats are lifting right now, just those with guangxi get lifted much faster, while those at the bottom barely keep pace with inflation. If the economy falters this year, it could get very interesting.
