Agree with it all except the last part. That's a very misleading way to look at it societies that could not be even called developing countries. In 1949, Chinese life expectancy was barely 35! Infant mortality was 24%!!! Literacy rate was something like 10%. By 1974, they were still poor but they were able to be human, multiply (too much according to Chicom by then) and the majority could read. Hans Rosling's videos on India, China etc. are well worth watching.