system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: Why do many Americans lose their power of reasoning when talking about socialism?

I often hear very intelligent Americans talk about socialism as the devil's work that is intrinsically abominable, exactly equal to communism and nothing ever to be considered. Does socialism not mean the same thing over there as here in Scandinavia where it works just fine without dictators and concrete walls (Social democracy)?
gpt
Socialism in the form of communism was the form of government of our longest lived enemy, the USSR. We had 50 years of conflict and risk of global annihilation with them and both sides heavily used propaganda to demonize the other side. That is one generation deciding that they were the enemy, and two and a half generations growing up during the cold war (a generation is roughly 20 years). That amount of cultural indoctrination via propaganda takes a long time to undo (if you can ever undo it). Even though the Cold war officially ended in 1991 there are many in the US that do not consider to have really ended and who do not trust Russia one iota. 

It does not matter how successful things are in Scandinavia, the term is tainted by connection to the USSR and for the time being there will be a lot of resistance to them. 

Another part of it is that we view the role of government to be different. To the US the role of government is to make sure there is an environment that you are capable of working for your own betterment and that your personal liberties are protected, in much of Europe the role of the government is to make sure that you are healthy and provided for.