> I think crux of our disagreement is about the involvement of government in peoples lives.

The involvement of government in particular does not concern me.

My concern is the involvement of any powerful group.

If all you seek is a reduction of the state, you leave a void waiting to be filled by corporatocracy.

The argument of left vs. right, authoritarian vs. libertarianism is a red herring, what really matters is the distribution of power. Given that money is approximately power and that the government is more accountable to me than an individual, I have no qualms about the higher tax rate.