Every time I talk about communism to my extremely right-wing dad, he always says without fail “The high-ranking members of the communist party are elitists who live like kings in mansions and drive luxurious cars while the rest of the population live like peasants. That makes them worse than capitalists.” I call that bs, but I dont know much about the wealth differences between high-ranking party members and the rest of the populous. Is it really that wide?
That is generally not the case, many party members in communist states live fairly modest lifestyles. They are comfortable, and yes they may make slightly above average, but nothing like the billionaire oligarchs that control the US or other western countries. Are there exceptions to that? Of course, just because we are communists doesn't give us some inherited immunity to corruption. It's certainly not the rule though.
For the sake of arugment, even if we grant him that the ruling caste lives a more luxurious lifestyle, how would that make them worse than capitalists? Capitalists already have a ruling caste that have obscene wealth.
Capitalist countries have rampant homelessness and people starve in the streets while food is thrown away and wasted. Charities in Texas are actually fined for trying to feed the homeless.
Cuba houses their population, educated their population, and has raised medical standards past that of "developed" capitalist countries like the United States.
China has demonstrably improved the life of all of their citizens, lifting millions of people out of poverty and nearly removing homelessness. Vietnam gives land and housing to their people as long as it is utilized.
The DPRK has generous work-life balances and continuining education programs, and spends a lot of their time and money on providing housing for as many of their people as they can.