@Radical_EgoCom @burnoutqueen @IndyHermit @FisherPeter I think there's more to this than that, because there can be public companies that actually own the means of production in capitalism, and that wont make it "a little socialist". Take public transportation, water and sewer systems, electricity, schools, etc.. All of those can be run by the State when there is no private initiative to endeavour in those areas, but if it's just to fill the gap, then it is still very much capitalism.

I guess besides the objective fact/requisite of owning the means of production, a socialist State must aim to evolve to communism. Perhaps we can say it is a subjective requisite of the concept? I'm not saying that the USSR wasn't socialist in those terms, I'm just adding to your point.