1. I think Google's ultimate goal is to bring you into an environment where you are just "Googling". This is evidenced by the top bar whenever you are on a Google site. They aren't trying to make it so that you are actively participating in a social media site like when you are facebooking, they are trying to make your entire presence on the net a social experience. There is no need for you to be "plusing" as you will be "plusing" simply by being online. No longer do you need to have a tab left open for your Facebook, your social media experience is fulfilled by leaving your email open.

2. One interesting counterpoint to this is how Google+ is growing. Certainly there are some people coming from websites/forums asking for invites but I would bet money that at least as many are coming from people posting on facebooks themselves. Facebook's own established network is working against them here.

The privacy debate is really not that important in the end. People who care about the privacy will end up posting on their facebook and inviting their friends to try Google+ (which they most likely will, it's a Google product afterall) and once they are on Google+ they will either like it more than facebook or they won't (because we have already established they don't care about the privacy aspects). In the end it comes down to which one can provide a better experience for most users and Google+ once again has the lead here because of how it can insert itself into your entire online experience.