Spotting Socialism

I need some help here. I'm all set to write about the socialist life in America, but I want to tread carefully. I want to be accurate. I don't want to cry Socialism! when there is none, and I have realized that I'm not entirely sure how I will know that America has gone socialist.

Help me out here: how will I know?

"When they kick in your door and drag you away."

Okay, fair enough. That one's pretty clear. When it happens, I'll try to snag my notebook and hope for a gulag with wifi, but I'm guessing they'll be subtler than that.

Are there other signs? Will it be some economic marker? Some political line that gets crossed? Near as I can tell, none of his cabinet nominees are formal socialists. If they're crypto, then we're back in the same dilemma: how will I know?

I try consulting the standard sources. Pat Buchanan says we may soon have over 40% of our national economy run by the government (federal and local). Is 40% the line? Or is it 45%? Is 50% communism? I'm confused.

So, seriously. How can I tell? What's the marker? Yesterday we had democracy, but today we have socialism? Does the mere election of Obama do the trick? Give me a clue here, folks; throw me a bone. If America as I know it is about to vanish, I'd like to be able to recognize the stunt.