You post a lot of good economics content, and I thank you for it. Haven't read it all yet, but I'll get to it. The socialism of the United States is almost divorced from the ideology of Marx, I find it fascinating. Americans couldn't live without the socialistic parts of their society, but even the guy who works at 7/11 couldn't give a fuck about or identify with the proletariat in any meaningful way.
I'm glad you appreciate my submissions. "Socialism" is generally a misused term in the United States, even by liberals. Many actual leftists don't consider welfare institutions to be examples of socialism, because they do not meet the definition of "worker control of the means of production". You are right that many workers, especially in the service industry, are alienated. However as we've seen with the recent strike in New York City, even they are beginning to develop class consciousness.