You are technically correct when you say "big government calling all the shots", but in the end what really happens is that the big government is nothing more than a handful of very wealthy and powerful people, effectively creating a fiefdom where they are the Lords of the land and the populace are the serfs. This happens no matter which -ism you start with.

Capitalism is the only -ism I can see where this can be checked, but only through the vigorous use of strong anti trust laws and some form of tort regulation.