A basic thing that most people know about Communism: There is no money in communism.
But all the "communist" (socialist) used money. So this proved in a very simplistic way to kids and regular people that there was not communism in Eastern Europe.
LOL! I came across a hilarious joke as a kid, that might explain it:

Q. "Will there be money in communism?"
A. "Yugoslavian comrades say there will be; Chinese comrades say there won't be; we merge these two theories, and think there will be money, but not everyone will have it."