Manifesto/New Yorker's rights

On the airplane ride to White Plains NY, I read about ¾ of Ron Paul’s latest book: “Ron Paul Revolution: A Manifesto.” He divides the book into 5 sections (paraphrasing): The foreign policy of the founding fathers, the constitution, free market economics, civil liberties, and sound money. From what I have read I obviously agree with most of it. Even if my quality of life declined for a period of time, I would like to live in a country where we live as he describes how America should be, with a small federal government and friends with the entire world. To me, the free market part makes the most sense. I really cannot comprehend how we allowed the gov't to become this involved in everyday activities like watching TV, or eating in a restaurant. Really, how is regulating that the gov't's jobs?

While in NYC I witnessed a lot more government intervention than I see in the more moderate state of Michigan. No smoking, trans fats, etc. Just little things, but I still question how the government, local, state, or federal, has any right to intrude on private businesses as they do in NYC. But then on Saturday night I think I saw the reason: The entire city is drunk. Adults my parent’s age are stumbling through the streets. And I don’t mean drunk on a bottle of wine or a martini or a scotch on the rocks…I mean drunk like a bottle of vodka. People in their 40s and 50s were literally tripping over each other; when people get drunk to this extent they do not want the responsibility that comes with minor rights, such as smoking in a bar. For example, if I owned a smoke free bar and one of these adults started smoking and I asked him to leave, what would be my immediate re course if he said some stupid drunk shit and continued to smoke? I would need to waste more money on security guards or something to solve the problem. So I think I at least see how the people in NYC lost their right to smoke in private institutions as they would rather be treated like babies with the government as their parents.