Perhaps they're confused. Here's some possible sources of the confusion, which may apply to some with ambition who have a public voice and can influence public views, such as what happened big time in the sixties.
Long before that, Swami Vivekananda, a socialist, was sent to the United States by Ramakrishna to spread the word. He came from a rigid class structure, but did not advocate class revolution.
Folks likely consider socialism to be the benevolent socialism of Vivekananda, rather than the messy class-conflict of Marx that advocates revolution and overthrow of what is, rather than creation and building of what is not.
What’s interesting is that Vivekananda was sent to the USA because the West was seen as the next evolution of spirituality in the world by his sender, Ramakrishna, and Vivekananda was an early emissary of spiritual East to West.
Socialists pride themselves on being more spiritually evolved than crass capitalists, and the imaginative possibility of Vivekananda’s benevolent socialism functioning within the West’s informal, fluid class structures could be the source of confusion for the well-intentioned yutes, especially those aiming for world peace and no conflict anywhere, who have been told how special they are all their lives. Kids now can call the cops on their parents. Logically speaking, special people have a good chance of making work, what has not worked before. However, confusing the intent of Marxism with the spiritual, benevolent intent of Vivekananda-style socialism, which essentially reduced down to feed the hungry, ain't gonna make it happen.
Vivekananda’s position on socialism was actually … spiritually-based, non-denominational charity in the United States, and it worked, however such thinking gave Christian charities too much power over the people, so the gubberment took over and began taking care of the needy, which replaced both Christian Charity and family. Now, warehousing the old ones is popular so the young ones can be all they can be, and the warehoused can relive the surrender of responsibility as in the days of youthful institutionalizations.
Now, since the government took over charity, being needy is an institution, a front for corruption, and the definition of need has expanded into everyone's pocket.