3 questions:

What definition of communism do you use that has no regard for worker enfranchisement, worker control of the means of production, or decommodification?

Why would anyone want socialism if it looks like the USSR, China, or DPRK? The socialistic characteristics of those countries are weaker than what you'd find in the US, let alone a social democracy.

Why is an active move away from communist principles required to transition to communism, and how many decades should workers expect to live under those comparatively (or absolutely) shitty conditions before actual communism is achieved.

This is why tankies are the enemy of actual communists - you defend fascist regimes, with worse conditions and fewer rights than we have, then hold them up as a glorious example of what we can achieve under communism, then when issues are pointed out, you invariably blame the US. The CIA has pulled some bullshit, but they're not responsible for the state of China, the USSR, or the DPRK.