How will socialism work?

How will socialism work as an effective political engine in modern society? I believe that it is important to isolate oneself from the other nations and systems on the global scale. Companies that "tried out" socialism during the Industrial Revolution did so as an isolated economy. Sweden, the famed model of modern socialism, has strict immigration laws.
Immigration would have to be limited to a trickle, and then only the "hand-picked few" would be allowed access. This is not the common view amongst left-wingers in Canada and is why socialism on a grand scale will never work in this country.
One must remember the feeling of self-importance that human nature luxuriously bathes itself in. If a socialist society works towards the common good, forfeiting a majority of those wages earned in order to receive the benefit social programs, everything will be cheery until a body from the outside enters. Human nature will be in unrest. Why is someone else benefiting from my labour? In Canada we already complain and moan about immigration. However, I believe Canada could not effectively survive if it were not for the high number of immigrants being welcomed into our country each year.
I'm not going to take my rant any further, it is just a seed thought as of now.

Northern Lights! Hooray!

This was taken a month or so ago just east of Edmonton.