What is the true definition of “socialism”?
Govt ownership of the means of production,
Or a govt with a big social safety net and accompanying high tax rates?
Correct but the government doesn't need to own the means of production; it only needs the power to control the means of production, which can be accomplished by enacting and enforcing regulations.
In CaCaLand the state gov’mt practices communism by forbidding you to use your assets in the manner they were designed and purchased. Like land.
You buy a plot of land to farm. Treehuggers immediately harass the gov’mt to pass a NEW law forbidding you. Now, with that law in place you cannot farm and trying to sell the land to others has to be done at a depressed price.
This is how communism works in CaCaLand.