When many commentators across the political spectrum doubt that Russia was ever truly communist it is more from a belief that the Soviet leaders were behaving as cynically as all authoritarian leaders do.
For example, we have someone in the Whitehouse now who claims to be a believer in America and all her great traditions while running an administration for himself, by himself in secrecy and in complete violation of the word and spirit of our Constitution.
Just like the Soviets paid lip service to Marx, Obama is paying lip service to Lincoln and Washington.
Either way, the steps taken by the Second World “governments” (loosely termed) did mirror the ten steps to communism as outlined in the second chapter of the Communist Manifesto. That is not mere “lip service to Marx” and shows how inherently totalitarian that path is.
Obama and the Democratic Party (and of course the RINOs) are following the Fabian (non-revolutionary) path to socialism, which is by progressive “reform” rather than violent revolution.