Ok, take any federal funded program. While I concede that healthcare is a sector where privatization could help, Police? I'm kinda glad our taxes fund those guys, they show up when I need them. Education? Take away state funding and you make college student fees skyrocket to the level of private colleges. All the money that people would essentially be 'saving' would just sit there and not help out our country. Sure, some of the average poor persons salary goes to funding a local state college their kids will never attend. But its the college that produces good people that will go and improve the quality of life for those poor people and make it so their kids have a chance to get a education. If you leave some things up to people, they will never fund it themselves.
Take for example the Seattle viaduct. Its crumbling. Our state needs to rebuild it. Seattle wants it built. However, instead of letting government analysts and all come in and decide what was the best way of doing things, our state left it to a vote for everyone in the county. 50% of the county doesnt even know where the fucking thing is, let alone drive on it. So of course, nobody voted to replace it. They wouldnt dare choose to pay for something they wont use. That, in essence, is why you need federal taxes. Sure, not everyone gets the benefits of the projects and services their taxes pay for. I luckily havent needed police to come and chase down an arsonist. But I still pay for them, because I do want them when I need them. I dont use a viaduct every day, or even every month. But I still want it built because it will make our city better and increase the standard of living, benefiting everyone in the county and state. Do other people see it my way? Hell no. And those people wont pay taxes unless they're forced to. You need taxes, because people are fucking selfish when it comes to their money.
Now, I know Ron Paul is not extreme, so please dont force words into my mouth.
As for the economy bit, yes, the dollar is falling for many reasons, not just one. Nowhere did I say it was strictly the EU to blame. Fuck, maybe its just time our country ceases to be a superpower. Yes, the military and war are costing us a lot, but they always have. The US has had an incredible budget for its military, and gains economic power from having it overseeing other countries. I think the state of the economy is more based in the past decisions of our president and not our economic output... but I'm not an economist, so I really cannot say for sure. It would be an outrageous claim however to assure people that one specific candidate could do more for the countries economy instead of another. You really have no way of telling what policies a candidate will enact versus what they say to get elected. Remember the "Bush on Mars" stuff? Yeah....