It is a bit dangerous to make such statements towards people you don't know, as you may end up looking quite a clown. In this particular case, I was born in a s

It is a bit dangerous to make such statements towards people you don't know, as you may end up looking quite a clown. In this particular case, I was born in a socialist country, my family lived in a socialist country for generations, and some perished from it, in very unpleasant ways. Some were members of The Party, too, won't deny it. I am literally the "foreign people" you are white-knighting here. I was taught the theory of socialism in school (only a little), I wore Lenin on my chest (when I was a little kid who didn't know better), and I had experienced the practice of it on my own body and mind and environment. I stood in the lines. I lived through the shortages. It's what I was born into and witnessed, and what my family members - which witnessed much worse things than I did - told me, and what other people, from whose personal experience I learned, told all the world - but not everybody wanted to learn. I don't claim I know all, and with all reading that I did about political theory and practice, I can't claim I know everything about socialists/communists - probably not. But I certainly know enough to make some conclusions, and likely - I know much more about it than you do. If I am a little better than you are at guessing, I'd venture a guess that some older people around where you live could tell you a bit about the practice of socialism too, if you asked them. But I won't expand too much at that. I'll just say when trying to accuse others in being narrow-minded, it's useful to keep a mirror around.