Socialism is the control of the individual, and by extension the private sector, by the state. You can use "collectivism" if you want to nitpick. A lot of people will try to pull the old gag that unless the state "owns" the means of production, it ain't socialism.

I say if the state controls every aspect of the means of production: what you can make, how much you can charge, who you can hire, how much you can pay, where you can build, what materials you build with, what resources you can use, or how big the goddam holes in your cheese are, then it really doesn't make a lot of difference who "owns" the means of production.

The attempt to control farm production and prices by means of central planning is socialist in nature.

Of course, farm production has nothing to do with government motivations here.

Our current government is largely concerned with increasing and maintaining as much political power as possible over its citizens.

Since we are still a voting democracy, much of the government is therefore concerned with either coercing or buying the votes of its citizens to maintain this power.

I have a lot of difficulty finding government programs that are, when you get to the bottom of it, doing anything else besides this, including farm subsidies.

I am enough of a realist to see that we are, thank goodness, still far from a Soviet-style socialist state. The inherent creativity of our people somehow seems to keep one step ahead of the controllers. The computer industry seems to be the most recent example of a burst of freedom, although the government is doing its best to get in front of it and show the industry who really rules in this country.

It's possible something may happen that will reverse the slow ratchet toward totalitarianism. Maybe someone will figure out how to move money without the government seeing it. Maybe an unsuspected nation will take a quick libertarian turn. Or maybe a free colony will open up in space (you think I'm a space nut because I like vacuum?)