Socialism in the US, and elsewhere, transmogrified into other movements which adopted some of its aspects and mixed them with other social and political intentions. To be sure, socialism was such a mongrel itself, as was and is, capitalism. Hardly a political ideology is not an opportunistic blend of what will work, and which will evolve in a winning direction, hopefully. Capitalism is infused with socialist benefits for its practitioners, and democratic socialism pervasive in Europe is infused with luxurious elitism which favors those who enjoy heirarchies. Anti-political ideologies are about the only schemes which do not hide what they are made of, have stolen from, deny they are, all the while reaping rewards that come with dissimulation. Even anarchy as most often practiced benefits mostly its promulgators at the expense of their followers -- yes, anarchists are composed of dues-stealing leaders and dunned followers no matter what its ideolgues preach. A most pernicious ideology is that of individualism, particularly the "rugged" version, in which person espouses a rejection of all ideology while gobbling among the garbage heap of ideology for bits and pieces to confect a seemingly unique brew of convictions which when examined shows nothing more than what ignorance can engender in the way of mongrelism triumphant. Sometimes, praise allah, ignorance does surpass wisdom in weeding out incestous ideologies, so contaminated by each other's liftings and copyings and prevarications that they are hulks without substance, and instead of these skins of shallowest appearance grow a novel set of ideas which fit the times, for a brief period at least. Those who follow these novelties are considered mad by the main street phlegmatics who may insist the sheriff kill the terrifying varmints, and the sheriff may do that provided deputies sent to do the pesticide are not members of the rebellion always bubbling beneath the appearance of law and order.