Quote from Ricter:
But what are the negative symptoms? Your taxes are too high? Your freedoms too constricted? I mean, without symptoms, what you've stated is a technicality. Look around the world, your taxes (excepting California for the moment) are middle of road (remarkable, considering we're an empire). Your freedoms are still envied. So how is government "too big", just in theory?
First, our freedoms have been eroded by big government. Let's take stock shall we:
The 4th amendment which has been all but destroyed by the TSA (DHS) and the Patriot Act. The government may now search our persons, places, or effects without probable cause or a warrant. If you want to get on a plane, you have a choice between harmful radiation or sexual assault.
The 1st amendment has all but been taken away with the advent of "free speech zones" and crackdowns on protests before they even begin.
Habeus corpus can be suspended at the the will of the executive, along with the right to due process. All Obama has to do is label you an enemy combatant and poof, you're dead. GW started us on this road but Obama took it to the extreme.
Even our right to bear arms has been unconstitutionally restricted and remains under constant attack. So, when you say our freedoms are envied, who envies them and which freedoms are you talking about?
Second, regarding middle of the road taxes, most of them go to service government debt from before you and I were born. That comparatively, we are in the middle of the pack (I'll assume you are correct) makes no difference. The federal government has taken on many functions it was never meant to have. The government has no money of its own so naturally we are on the hook for all of it. Would you like to see the result of big government's deficit spending jones?
Check this out (pay particular attention US Unfunded Liabilities and Liability by taxpayer) :
http://www.usdebtclock.org/