The only reason our taxes look middle of the road compared to those high tax, heavily socialized European countries is because we borrow such a large fraction of our federal spending. If we had the same level of spending and a balanced budget your income taxes would have to be more than twice as high. Then let me hear about how "middle of the road" our taxes are. My freedoms are envied? By whom? In most other countries you can get on an airplane without an electronic strip search. The Patriot Act strips away your fourth amendment rights, your sixth amendment rights, and much of your first amendment rights. So the freedoms you speak of are increasingly a historical anachronism.
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/
most regulations are in place for good reason. to curb abuses by business or individuals. epa regulations are in place because business does things that harm the enviroment in the name of profit. faa regulations are in place because airlines were lax on inspections and after a few horrible crashes inspection regulations were put in place to prevent it. automotive safety regulations were put in place in response to auto death rates. airport inspection regulations were put in place in response to hyjackings. food safety regulations were put into place in response to outbreaks of food sickness problems. school integration regulations were put into place because southern states refused to allow blacks in their schools. the list goes on and on. very few regulations were put into place for no reason.
Of course there's a reason, to protect the entrenched oligarchy from competition. Many regulations are actually written by the industry they are meant to regulate. Add to that the revolving door between regulated corporations and regulatory agencies and welcome to America. Let's take the example of Monsanto shall we: Conflict of interests perhaps?
Someone posted a vid that Paul would not vote for the 1964 Civil Rights Act, and he admitted that he would not have. Add that, to articles like this one: http://www.americanthinker.com/2007/11/the_ron_paul_campaign_and_its.html from Conservative online sites, and the Ron Paul = racist moniker will stick. I am not saying that he is one, but he will not put clear distance between himself and hate groups.