Their system is quite capitalist since Deng, and they're not doing that well compared to Taiwan which is as close to an A/B test as you'll get.

> or are they not communist, somehow?

How are they? They have a market economy. Plus, the US has greater government spending (as % of GDP) than China.

Everything is a farce.

Everything is made up.

People in power are always just the most high functioning sociopaths that clamor for it, communism or not.