[baybal2]

> There is no altruistic motivation to better the lot of the common person. The only motivation is to maintain control.

I don't take it even as a control maintenance. They are now literally back to years when they were taking it as an insult for anybody to be more rich, and successful than a village party head.

It's 100% truth. Heard stories of people having their houses demolished for building them more fancy than the house of a party leader nearby, and that was not in the cultural revolution era, but barely 3 decades ago.

Bad old times are back.