The final nail for me, regarding the social part, was participating in lots of internet debates about the Martin/Zimmerman case. But the debates about AGW, Obama’s policies, the FACT that many Americans are no longer insulted when you call them a Socialist, and many actually call themselves. socialist.
This isn’t your standard generation gap. This is Dr. Zivago, but on an international scale.
Funny about that “socialist” bit.
I have found that “most” leftists still bristle when they are rightfully labelled as socialist or communist.
Their argument is that their goals and policies don’t fit the dictionary definition of socialist.
To which I reply that, yes, their goals and policies would be more accurately characterized as “fascist”, but I didn’t want to start a fight.