Who will define this "greater good"? It seems that in your system it is the government defining, creating and distributing it.

I already asked that question and you ignored it ;-) but in response: do you prefer the Athenian model? If so, it only works with a small population. Whereas you have chosen to live in one of the larger cities of a country of hundreds of millions of people, making it inevitable that you *will* delegate such decisions to professional politicians. Every so often you get to vote for them, but of course they define acceptable freedom on your behalf. The best you can do is to remain politically aware and contribute to pressure for change on topics that matter to you. Apart from that, IMHO you have the privilege of living in one of the largest, wealthiest and most vibrant communities on earth. Enjoy!