Is the US a Socialist nation?

Socialism is government ownership and/or control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc. A key element of Socialism is the denial or restriction of the individual's freedom of choice.

Modern examples of Socialism in the United States: Public schools (including most colleges and universities), many hospitals, and General Motors are all government-owned. When the President of the United States gets to pick who runs a business, you know there's Socialism.

Most of private enterprise is heavily regulated although government doesn't yet play a major role telling businesses exactly what products and services they must provide and how much or how often. Nevertheless, we have gone through periods of government-imposed price controls and of rationing.

Those who say we aren't a Socialist nation should try to provide a product or service without layers of government bureaucratic permission and see what happens. Or, try to buy an incandescent light bulb or a gas-guzzling muscle car or a toilet that works or gasoline that doesn't contain corn or try to board an airliner without government photo ID and the possibility of being groped, or develop private property that is alleged to be home to an alleged endangered species.

There is no authority in the US Constitution for the central government to "control of the means of production and distribution, of capital, land, etc." Indeed, the Tenth Amendment prohibits such intervention.

Those who deny we are a socialist nation are oblivious to, or accepting of, how far in that direction we have gone since the Morrill Acts and the introduction of Progressivism the late 19th and early 20th centuries.