Strycker Loc: The middle of somewhere else.

“Socialism is a political and economic theory which advocates that the means of production, distribution, and exchange should be owned or regulated by the community as a whole and controlled by the state or government.”

By that definition we are in fact already largely a socialist country as nearly every aspect of our production, distribution and exchange is to a large degree regulated and controlled by the federal government. We are no longer a free capitalist country. Instead we are a regulated country with all production and activities being consolidated to a ever smaller number of companies and controlled by an ever smaller number of powerful people.

Baby formula... Due to the burden of meeting government regulations the cost of entering into the manufacture of baby formula is just too cost prohibitive. Competition is thus reduced or eliminated. 90% of the manufacture of baby formula is controlled by four manufacturers.

40% of the current manufacture of baby formula was manufactured in one location. That location was shut down due to bureaucratic regulation without any thought of the consequences.

As a result of the failure of socialist government regulations in their attempts to regulate production there is a artificially created shortage of baby formula. As is always the case, where the means of production is controlled and competition is reduced, shortages always result.

The housing shortage is another example of a regulation created shortage as more and more regulation leads to more and more consolidation of the industry. So are the energy prices. This is only the beginning of the socialist created shortages through regulation that we will face. There are already warnings of a coming food shortage. Food shortages are a standard result of a socialist regime. Once the panic sets in from hunger, once people are restricted to their homes (can't afford the gas to even go to work), once we can no longer heat or cool our homes due to the cost and availability of energy (rolling blackouts), once people are disarmed and silenced, (gun and speech restrictions), once people are dependent on government for the very basics of survival (government welfare), there will be no stopping the take over and control of all of our lives in the name of security.

Flyinhoss Loc: Texas

I agree with your premise, but your definition of Socialism is incorrect in an important way. Socialism is Government ownership of the means of production.

C*******m is all property, including the means of production is owned in common and rigidly controlled, by a totalitarian government.

F*****m is government control of private property and the means of production. (as the N**is controlled factory production during WWII, like Mercedes, and others, were forced to convert their factories to mfg. weapons of war.)

Strycker Loc: The middle of somewhere else.

The how would you define a country that has private ownership but due to excessive government regulation the government in effect has total control of how that industry is operated, who in involved in it, what materials can be used and what prices can be charged? The end result is the same. Government control.