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Pundits are speculating on what impact the novel coronavirus pandemic will have on the presidential race, but we know the answer. Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., or at least his philosophy, has won.

Our march toward socialism began incrementally decades ago. But our response to the coronavirus will lead to its permanent implementation after elected officials of both parties shuttered businesses, ordered citizens not to go to work and made clear that there would be more draconian measures to come.

The delicate balance between freedom and risk was less than an afterthought as our economy was gutted in a matter of days.

Most disappointing of all has been President Donald Trump. Trump turned the country over to health professionals, who were understandably focused solely on the best medical remedies.

Sadly, no one seemed to worry much about protecting the economy or ensuring civil liberties, which, yes, must be protected even in the face of a communicable disease.

The snowball started rolling, state by state. One directive led to the next. Millions were ordered home, where they wait for their government to tell them it's OK to come out.

Without a doubt, some parts of the country were hit harder and needed to take stronger measures. But a one-size-fits-all mentality was disastrous, and we are only beginning to explore more nuanced ideas for mitigating the risk to seniors and others who are at heightened risk.

In recent days, Trump has indicated he might soon reverse course and lift federal restrictions. It's already too late. The economy can't be turned on and off like a light switch.

We live in a world where politicians of both parties promise no pain and no consequences. That includes the president. As the push for a big intervention began, Trump vowed that hourly wage workers were "not going to miss a paycheck" and "don't get penalized for something that's not their fault."

In real life, bad things happen to us that aren't our fault, but we still have to find a way, usually on our own, to cope and recover. Only in the land of make-believe that is our government would anyone think that no one would miss a paycheck no matter how many businesses were closed or jobs were lost.

Airlines and the hospitality industry can be rescued. Businesses large and small can get bailouts or low-interest loans. Millions of Americans will receive $1,200 checks, maybe multiple times.

Last week, our leaders agreed to devote trillions of dollars to respond to this economic calamity of our own creation. It will be what we do from now on.

In his State of the Union address in February 2019, Trump said: "America was founded on liberty and independence not government coercion, domination and control. We are born free, and we will stay free. Tonight, we renew our resolve that America will never be a socialist country." So much for that.

We have crossed the Rubicon. When historians record the moment that the U.S. economy transitioned from free-market capitalism to democratic socialism, they will point to last week.

Watching it all unfold has been like witnessing a plane crash in slow motion. When the smoke clears, what is left will be a feeble relic of the United States we once knew.

For months, the rising influence of big-government liberals such as Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has caused many Democrats to worry that their nominee would be vulnerable to the label "socialist."

They should no longer be concerned. We are all socialists now.

Gary Abernathy, a freelance writer, is a Washington Post contributing columnist.

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