I think marketing, aggressive and all-pervasive marketing, is THE number 1 cause of waste and stupidity in North America, Amos...and it's busy extending its insane grasp over the rest of the World by every means possible.

As for socialism, it's merely a necessary part of any functioning modern society, not a panacea. I think the healthiest societies are probably about a 50/50 mix of socialism and private enterprise, in fact. To have all of one or all of the other is a very bad idea. The middle way is best (as we know if we study the Tao).

There is no ideal form of government, but there is an ideal manner of practicing government...that is, with openness, honesty, and a genuine will and intention to serve all the people in the best way possible. Again, that is touched on in Taoism in the tales of the Yellow Emperor who saw himself as a servant unto the nation and presided over a very harmonious, peaceful, and prosperous period in the history of ancient China.