By definition, socialism is a movement of, by, and for working people; distributing power democratically among the working class, and removing power from the wealthy and powerful. If a regime claims to be socialist while maintaining centralized, dictatorial power, then they have hijacked the movement to their own ends while coopting the language of it. Those regimes you mention were authoritarian because they failed to achieve socialism.
By definition, socialism is a movement of, by, and for working people; distributing power democratically among the working class, and removing power from the wealthy and powerful. If a regime claims to be socialist while maintaining centralized, dictatorial power, then they have hijacked the movement to their own ends while coopting the language of it. Those regimes you mention were authoritarian because they failed to achieve socialism.
Funny how that has happened every single time.
Oh come on, every social movement by the people gets hijacked by corporate interests these days. Anything for a buck. That’s what they do
Which is why the strict regulation of a well functioning democracy is the only thing we have to protect ourselves against that.