One possible conclusion that can be derived from this disaster is that communism, because of its lacking emphasis on capitalism, cannot nurture economic development. As Nicholas Lardy stated, "The Maoist ideology of self-sufficiency, pursued most vigorously in the Cultural Revolution years of the mid-and late-1960's, had left China largely isolated from the world economy."2 Communist doctrines decreed capitalism as inequitable because the elite prospered while the commoners languished. Thus China's market economy was scrapped in favor of one that promoted self-reliance. Instead of striving for economic development, China sought to stabilize their economy. Communist nations have a history of playing minor roles in the world market, and China under Mao was not an exception, "At the outset of its economic reforms in the late 1970's, China was an insignificant participant in international markets for goods and capital prior to the late 1970's, China also was barely a participant in world capital markets."3 Many critics argue that China's communist ideals limited its participation in extensive markets, and thus the country's economy was doomed to falter from the outset. .
Another possible conclusion that can be derived from the relationship between Chinese communism and the country's dormant economy is that Mao failed to administer government policies wisely. In effect it was not communism that derailed China's economy, but rather the errors of an individual in a position of power. Mao was too theoretical concerning communism in the wake of the 1949 revolution. The Chinese leader envisioned a perfect communal society modeled strictly after the doctrines and theories of great socialist writers. By following the guidelines presented by such writers as Marx and Engels, Mao sacrificed economic development in favor of the possibility of social reform. As Dwight Perkins says, .
Mao Zedong, during the last decade and a half of his life, dedicated his energies to creating a new "socialist man" who would work selflessly within a society devoid of class distinctions and motivated by the social good rather than personal material benefits.