I too miss my beer and smokes because the more fundamental right, that of property, is infringed. The restaurant owner has lost that right which is far more important to me than the right to light up. Let the restaurant owner decide that. But your comparison to China and such “rights” dilutes the fundamental argument of property, including the most basic right that I own myself. What property rights are there in China? I'm not saying we don't have a property rights problem here, but let's not compare apples to oranges.
Is there a 1st amendment right to leak state secrets? We could debate what are legitimate state secrets and there are far too many things classified as secrets that should not be, but China has its state secrets as well. You don't mention McCain-Feingold, which is far more important to me than any right to pornography.
I could go on and while I agree with you in basic principle, I think your example of China being more free would be seized by some as a reason we should be more like China. I definitely don't want that. Nonetheless, this is a good post and helps hone in on what is really important though I think it misses the point in some of the examples you give.
I can only chat about china because that is where I now live, and where my experience is. There is good and bad about the place. Comparing the USA to China is a comparison between apples and bananas.
But the point that I am trying to make is how OBVIOUS the loss of freedoms are when you leave the propaganda riddled USA.
There are many many many things that I lament. But, my saddest and most worrying concern is the loss of true freedom, and how no-one in the USA understand just what freedom is.
If a store owner wants to ban barefoot people. Well, good for him. But it should not be a law. The Federal Government has no business in regulating these kinds of issues. This is not why the country was formed.