Nails it with good history to boot. I had a Hungarian prof who grew up under communism - he saw the signs early on and told me that I had to know about Antonio Gramsci. Folks who come to this country from an authoritarian regime are able to see the signs earlier and clearer than those of us who grew up in the land of the free and home of the brave. Sort of ironic.
Right - I know people who grew up under communism and they have no illusions about it, plus they are able to spot its insidious growth in the US.