Lenin hijacked socialism and used it for a violent revolution. That sent chills down the spines of western leaders. Many considered Russia an unsuitable testing ground for socialism or communism, the term often used interchangeably. Stalin clearly put paid to any notion that socialism was a credible alternative. All said and done, the USSR was enormously successful in some respects. It created a super power, a huge industrial complex, an enviable space program and a secret service that out-foxed even British intelligence.
The negative legacy from the Cold War created an atmosphere of fear that was pervasive. You don’t need to be sympathetic to socialist causes to appreciate the historical backdrop around the world that well preceded the Russian Revolution.
Environmental, humanitarian, charitable are all social causes and I think are generally seen to be forces of good.
The tension centers on striking the right balance between government and business, the latter proving superior delivery but on occasion in need of a straight-jacket to tame its waywardness. Taking the best bits from all human experience strikes me as being infinitely more sensible than ideological confrontation.
