We already have a mixed economy, with socialist and free-market elements, and we've had it for more than 50 years. Nothing is more ridiculous than politicians, such as President Meathead, basing their campaigns on how much they hate socialism, but promising to protect Social Security and Medicare. And there's nothing wrong with it. California has a multibillion-dollar budget surplus. This would hardly crush big business or take away our freedom.
Big business is smarter and moves faster than government every time.
So let's be honest about it. Make the capitalists compete, too. Since the government lets big business gouge us, and we are the government, let's have government gouge big business for a change. After all, when an old person is cold, she doesn't care about the ideology of an electron. She just wants the heat to come on.