It’s reductionist to think of socialism/communism as oppositional to markets/capitalism. It’s much more freeing to think of it as a societal transition. As society grows disappointed with markets, society will transition to social control of production. There are many degrees between capitalism and communism. From highly regulated markets to state control of production. State control doesn’t have to be authoritarian. It could just have an administrative function. The reason the USSR and China seem authoritarian is because they are still in what Marxists call Siege Socialism. To maintain socialistic characteristics, socialist countries have to compete with capitalist countries, so to maintain control they have to limit markets, not to mention the military aspects.

Even if one is a proponent of a reformed capitalism, which many are, it cannot survive the consequences of climate change. Capitalism requires growth. A quasi- planned economy is coming, whether we want it or not. Better to get ahead of the transition, to avoid loss of life and suffering.