In the USA, few people understand what socialism is, they just are against it.

I blame the old USSR for that, since it included "Socialist" in the name, at least in English. (No idea what their own name for it was, tbh.)

How can you explain to cold war era people what socialism really is or how it includes things they like (police, armed forces, roads, schools, fire departments, etc.) without triggering those anti feelings? Of course, that includes getting them to listen.