Do you know the history and philosophical ideas that are the foundation of Socialism? Most people don't; especially those who are the biggest proponents of socialism. It's founded in the philosophy and economic theory of Karl Marx. Marx saw Capitalist societies as nothing more than people exploiting each other for economic gain, which was the source of all oppression and suffering in the world. He proposed a new society that moved beyond capitalism that focused on achieving economic equality for all, i.e. a communist society, thus ending oppression. Vladimir Lenin set out to put the theories of Marx into practice in the Russian Revolution of 1917, and at the outset of the revolution he realized he had a problem. It would have been impossible to immediately implement a communist right away, so he devised an “interim” government as a transition from capitalism to communism. He called this Socialism which has been practiced y every Marxist revolution ever since. It's doubtful there has ever been a true communist government ever, and of the murder ad genocide that's happened is the responsibility of Socialism.