You are on the track, and it is not only American society.Socialism is in fact everywhere globally where there is "politics" and "government". Government is the tool socialism thrives from.

I just started to write a book about how the idea of Socialism is present at almost every level of our society and it continues to thrive on expanding governments, but not only that it is in the way of thinking, by distorting the once clear in language meanings into something else that protects it and causes conflict in society. Socialism is dangerous and evil idea, but it is also very dominating idea that is wielded mostly unconsciously - which makes it even more dangerous (think of people thinking good, but results end up powering this evil idea).

Socialists are possessed by the idea that they can promise something that collective (usually government will provide). Of course collective fails on that promise most of the time. What then for the solution? We lacked the resources, therefore we need more TAXES, more DEBT, more CONTROL - and this time it will be different!

Socialism as an idea infests not only government, but culture and language as well in order to protect itself. It distorts meanings. Let’s take economics for example: nowadays it almost certainly means Keynesian Economics which is not even backwards compatible with classical economics which reigned 250 years, but was of course discarded because politicians needed something to protect their actions in before great depression and afterwards as well. It changed totally the meaning of economics, and economics now is completely captured language and profession that serves these politicians. And this was just one example of the protective language and culture shell socialism has formed. There are many others, many taboos as well like: what if people and nations would generate more wealth and happiness with minimal government?