Question

what's the difference between socialist and liberals

Answer 1

As shorthand descriptions, Liberalsemphasise democracy and civil liberties; Socialists emphasise equality (at least of personal worth and opportunity) and Conservatives emphasise economic freedom and wealth creation.

Answer 2

Socialism seeks to replace the structure of the present economy with an alternative economic system that is not based on the accumulation of capital, private ownership of the means of production, and orientation of the economy to produce private profits. It seeks to resolve social and economic issues, such as economic crises, over-accumulation of capital, social inequality, and degenerate consumerist culture by tackling the cause of these problems - the capitalist system - and to replace capitalism with an economic system that does not generate these specific issues in the first place.

Modern liberalism seeks to tackle these same problems by treating the symptoms rather than the cause of the problems. Instead of replacing the system of capital accumulation and private ownership, they seek to regulate the existing system in the hope of preventing or mitigating the negative effects of economic crisis on ordinary citizens; to reduce inequality through social welfare programs and governmental policies that might contradict the underlying economic system.

In short, socialism is an alternative system to capitalism. Liberalism is tinkering around with the existing system of capitalism in order to make it "work" in a more just manner.