if we define direct ROI as the canonical monetary gain that private entities tend to optimize for, and then _indirect ROI_ as something that might cause monetar

if we define direct ROI as the canonical monetary gain that private entities tend to optimize for, and then _indirect ROI_ as something that might cause monetary gain because of second or nth order consequence, then I was mostly referring to indirect ROI. I tend to agree with you that public spending would be wasted or even misdirected in optimizing for direct ROI (EG prison system, education, healthcare...) I should have better specified in my original response.