I read some good analysis recently, wish I had saved it, that basically said Communism really hasn't been tried. They get stuck in Socialism because they can never realize the false promises of Communism.
To me, it's the same, you just have less/more Socialism. And it has the same street-level reality as Fascism--the only difference between the two are the lies the elite tell to obtain power.
Communism has never been tried in the same way that unicorns have never been contenders for the Triple Crown.