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Tollbooths? And what about the military? Military protection is commonly cited as a public good, but sustaining the military requires massive government expen
by jfager 16y ago
Tollbooths?
And what about the military? Military protection is commonly cited as a public good, but sustaining the military requires massive government expenditures on private goods. How does that square with the idea that the government shouldn't pay for private goods?
I think you're being overly harsh on the idea that the public/private goods distinction isn't always black-and-white. There are many obvious gray areas.
- yummyfajitas 16y agoWhen tollbooths are feasible, roads are indeed a private good. You are indeed correct that many of the intermediate goods in providing a public good are private goods when they are sold. I'm not sure what this has to do with anything, unless you are discussing something silly like the government buying tanks and giving them to private individuals. There are gray areas, but I think the biggies in the federal budget are pretty clear.
- jfager 16y agoThe point is, where do you draw the line? If you're comfortable with government spending money on private goods that are intermediate goods for military protection, then why not with government spending money on social programs that can be seen as intermediate goods for other kinds of public goods?