You have to understand that those were just slogans, with almost no practical equivalent. Corruption was rife, and taxes were almost unheard of. You get a salary (cash) and pay for goods with cash. No taxes on either end or annual tax return. Unemployment was officially inexistent, (you could go to jail if you had no job), therefore no welfare programs existed. Socialist parties in Western Europe had no clue about what they were wishing for.

I'll throw in the response that the "socialist" countries of Europe are socialist to varying degrees, and I don't think most of them actually consider themselves socialist. Unlike the US, most western countries think things like a social safety net and universal health care are good ideas in and of themselves, and do not necessarily ascribe any particular political ideologies to the ideas.