Maybe the issue here is that by "socialist" many people do not mean _a type of society or government_, but rather _a type of policy_, particularly policies that directly affect most people. The type of society or government one is living in/under does not _directly_ affect people. What matters is the policies that it creates. For many people, a "socialist" policy is something like universal health care, universal education, guaranteed employment and living wage, regardless of the type of society or government that creates these policies.
I mean, who really cares who controls the means of production if the policies are identical.