How do you know if you're being forced-fed into socialism?

The easy way out to this question would be by simply paying attention to what Cubans, Russians and Eastern Europeans who lived behind the iron curtain are screaming to the top of their lungs.

For once, it would make sense, since they have lived and suffered the monster of socialism and communism up close and personal, so it is logic that they should know a thing or two about living without freedom and with the government deciding - literally - the number of feminine pads a woman is supposed to use in a month.

But we, human beings, are complex entities. You may not even want to see the easy answer in front of your eyes. And if that's the case, a small summary of facts on how to identify a socialist government and/or president may be in order.

Star Parker has masterfully have put it together in this column:

" There’s a debate going on about whether it’s accurate to call our President a socialist. Here’s what I say. Socialism has three key characteristics, all of which I believe he buys into. "


"First, socialism disdains private property as sacred. Any doubt where our President stands on this? As former Council of Economic Advisors head Greg Mankiw notes regarding the health care bill, the prime motive was not “health per se but ... redistribution of income.”

 
I would add that yes, socialism disdains private property for everybody but to them: those in the power elites of the communist/socialist parties, the government and the military forces that keep them in power. Private property is despicable, but for only for the repressed masses. Pure double standard. Do as I say, but not as I do.
 

"Second, socialism puts faith in government social engineering. Just think government health care, government takeovers of banks and car companies, and cap and trade."

Indeed. They take over everything, end up owning everything and then, everything ends up not working.
 
Just look at Cuba after 50 years of failed economic non-policies and communist misery - again, only for the oppressed masses, never for the elites. Or Venezuela, an oil-rich country that is having...err... blackouts. Imagine yourself living in a nation-wide DMV field office, and you"ll get the picture.
 

"And third, socialism is godless, secular religion. It sees human redemption in government planning."

I would add that socialism and communism always try to eradicate first the two nuclear forces in society: religion and family. They do that in order to successfully brain-wash the new generations and erase the traditional values that hold nations together and usually are knit-tight to individual liberties.
 
Castro did it in Cuba when the first ones to be sent to the concentration camps called UMAP were Catholic priests and seminarists. Religion became a curse-word in a nation culturally and traditionally Catholic, where church always played a key role in the civic society.

Christmas trees were prohibited as capitalism's sins and you could go to jail for having one in your house. Things changed a little after Pope Jean Paul II visit to the island in 1992, but the damaged has been already done to three generations of Cubans born after Castro took over. Look at me, born after 1959, and I have no idea what I am supposed to do when I enter a church...
 
Then he attacked the family and its influence in the raising of its youngsters. In Cuba, you are separated from your parents at the age when you need them the most: in your teen years. Boarding schools with a system of work-study are the norm. (But again, there are always a few privileged that can evade that rule...) And at a young age, you're being told to denounce your parents and relatives if the talk ill about dear leader, the revolution or socialism.
 
Unfortunately, in this third case, we're already in big trouble in the US: just look at the government take over of public education and how it has become public indoctrination, not to mention the sick communist, anarchist and anti-Republic penetration in American colleges...
 
Finally, this last step it is crucial because it provides the communist moonbats with the basis for the process of ideological subversion that allows them to entrench in power.
 
That is, in plain English, sucking up your brain until you're not able to think by yourself and you become a robot-like leech totally depending on the government.
 
However, there is one thing that we should always keep in mind: the words of the Iron Lady when she said that socialism is great, until you ran out of other's people money.

That's what's happening in Greece. They ran out of other (Greek) people's money and now raided German's money. And when that one is gone, who know whose wallet in Europe will be raided. And I don't even want to think about when they are done emptying out all EU's pockets...