Thank you for a very eloquent exposition. You make a strong case for your point of view.

Unfortunately, like most people you erroneously equate capitalism with a ‘free-market economy’ (“free market capitalism” is the term you used). The two are not the same, or even compatible.

The emergence of the Modern economy, defined as an economy with a central-bank monetary system in place, preceded capitalism by at least a century. (Sweden was the first nation to adopt such a system, in 1668.) Capitalism, which could only arise after that centralized monetary system, aligned with the central government, was already in place, promotes, through the concentration of capital (wealth), the centralization of economic power (with the great holding companies of what is commonly known as the Robber Baron Era epitomizing that process).

You left out of your pantheon John Locke . He famously said (among other things) that government should be no more than a“Night Watchman,” existing only to protect persons and property.

Government must be big enough and strong enough to protect individual citizens from the biggest, most powerful entities in society. Capitalism — Big Business — makes Big Government necessary.

So, if you want small government you have to take into account the power inherent in a centralized banking system and capitalism — Big Business.