“Spending by government currently amounts to about 45 percent of national income. By that test, government owns 45 percent of the means of production that produce the national income. The U.S. is now 45 percent socialist.”

And racing towards 100%.

this administration is on the fast track

It is now over 50% and Obama is well on his way to "Fundamentally Changing This Country".

Socialism is far more desirable than Plutocracy - the current system entrenched by RR, GHWB and GWB.

The above quote does not include the corporatism that most literally falls within socialism's finite definition. The quote does not reference socialism's central control inflicted through unconstitutional and unlawful interpretations and regulations, grossly increases the percentage. The quote does not reflect socialism's unconstitutional legislation issued by the president that would also increase the percentage. The quote does not reference socialist legislation by the court, also increasing the percentage. And, the quote does not reference the loss of individual property and personal rights to the socialist dogmas of the occupying statist theocracy infesting this land - again, increasing the percentage. BUT, it is a good start.

L Hanson, I'm happy for you, that you might declare some of your religious beliefs. My religion happens to embrace freedom and liberty. While a Plutocracy may be good or bad for freedom and liberty, your reference does display the negative side of the system. BUT, in all cases, socialism is antithetical to freedom, liberty, prosperity, and inalienable rights. Thanks but no thanks, I prefer my religion and its associations.

It's well past time to TAKE BACK OUR COUNTRY before we are too disenfranchised to know what freedom really means, let alone remember how fight for it. Another four Socialist years and the damage may take us over the tipping point, from which there is no return. Who will be left with the courage and the memory to take us back to the liberty of our Constitution?

The US is now FASCIST which is 100% control of private commercial resources -- which now includes individual 'persons' which are treated as corporations and thus subject to commercial regulation. America was taken over a long time ago. Hanson is a damn fool -- the plutocracy are the banks that have the US (and Canada, I might add) under their thumb in their funny money system. Stop hacking at the branches and hack at the root.

With unfortunately the passing of Mr Friedman it would be of interest what his perspective of Government or Socialism entailed. It doesn't appear he had much accurate description of either, sorry to say.