I’m not so sure. The sharpest decline in living conditions outside of wartime didn’t stop the reaction against communism when the USSR was illegally dissolved against the will of its people. Sure, there was no longer a USSR to point to as evidence whereas Russia still exists and has been developing rapidly in recent years. On the flip side, China very much exists, but that doesn’t stop the Chinese reactionary diaspora from spreading false narratives such as there being no democracy in China.
I’m not so sure. The sharpest decline in living conditions outside of wartime didn’t stop the reaction against communism when the USSR was illegally dissolved against the will of its people. Sure, there was no longer a USSR to point to as evidence whereas Russia still exists and has been developing rapidly in recent years. On the flip side, China very much exists, but that doesn’t stop the Chinese reactionary diaspora from spreading false narratives such as there being no democracy in China.