David, I only have one disagreement with your great post:

"The very word alone is enough to stir fury among the boomers, because it is somehow the opposite of total freedom. "

I'm a boomer and don't think it's fair to lump us all under one label. Or to even use labels; they're inherently biased and unfair. I don't "fear" socialism, I embrace it as a natural outgrowth of capitalism. I realize that some people my age but mostly older do connote socialism with communism, but not all "boomers" do. Many of us know the difference.

Otherwise, thanks for the great article.