[Skybird]

There are no profound differences, at best communism is the later end stage that socialism aims to reach. In the task of blinding the public, using the term" "socialism" is a way to mean "communism" without making oneself avialable for criticism over propagating communism. But its practically the same - a rhetorical trick. You mean to be communist, but claim you are not. You can hold the cat's tail, but claim you do not pull it. Just a rhetorical trick. You could as well want to differ between "social market economy", "third ways" and "planned economy" - but it all means one and the same ends.