While not perfect free market/capitalism pulled up more people from poverty than any other system. It is usually about who you compare yourself to. If you compare yourself to 1% of the most wealthy country in the world then you are most likely going to look poor. But if you compare yourself to the bottom 1% of the poorest country you most likely going to turn out sickly rich. And when you do the same comparison to the poor in the far past then it gets even more crazy.