The goal of a business is to make profits, the goal of government is to provide services regardless of direct financial profitability.
They’re pretty much at the opposite end of the spectrum…
I always use railways to illustrate this example. Every developed country in the world has them. They are indispensable, cities would grind to a halt without mass commuter transportation. Yet, they are also notoriously expensive. They just don’t pay their way. People couldn’t afford the ride. But because they are an essential service, governments swallow the costs.
That’s the primary point of government. Not to wage war across the world, but to provide essential services to the people that private industry can’t do at an affordable price.
Well yeah obviously it need to be profitable in a way, but not in the accounting sense.
Making sure your population is happy, safe and healthy to be able to generate revenue by taxation is how you make a country “profitable”. I guess you can call it socially profitable.
I’d argue/expand that the real end goal of a business is to take over the world in some form or fashion. It doesn’t stop at profit. It stops at total control.
The goal of a business is to make profits, the goal of government is to provide services regardless of direct financial profitability.
They’re pretty much at the opposite end of the spectrum…
I always use railways to illustrate this example. Every developed country in the world has them. They are indispensable, cities would grind to a halt without mass commuter transportation. Yet, they are also notoriously expensive. They just don’t pay their way. People couldn’t afford the ride. But because they are an essential service, governments swallow the costs.
That’s the primary point of government. Not to wage war across the world, but to provide essential services to the people that private industry can’t do at an affordable price.
That’s why trains are bad! They are as expensive as planes only slower! That’s why we should build more freeways!/s
Many conservatives would disagree with you about the role of government.
At the end of the day, the role of government is to manage a group of people such that they’re profitable enough over time to support the government.
Well yeah obviously it need to be profitable in a way, but not in the accounting sense.
Making sure your population is happy, safe and healthy to be able to generate revenue by taxation is how you make a country “profitable”. I guess you can call it socially profitable.
I’d argue/expand that the real end goal of a business is to take over the world in some form or fashion. It doesn’t stop at profit. It stops at total control.
Sadly not even close to reality.