You say that not recognizing certain public goods is inefficient. Well, I say I recognize more than you. I recognize that, the option to buy a sandwich at a location for a particular price is a public good. Anyone in the world (with a few exceptions) has that option. It's a useful, valuable option.

I say the option to walk into a bookstore and browse books, and walk out, without paying, is a public good. You get something for free, and it's quite difficult for the store to give different treatment to people who plan to buy something, and people who don't. And the fact is that this public good exists.

Every single business and store on the Earth provides public goods. Many of them were created without force, and without help from the government. Public good problems are solved all the time, without force.

It's interesting that you mention roads as a public good, because privately built roads already exist. It's also interesting because you are aware of the concept of a toll road, and also a private driveway. How can you call roads a public good when it is relatively easy to exclude access to people who don't pay in advance? (Well, people will have the free option to buy use of the road. I will accept that answer, but it only puts roads in the same category as McDonalds.)

-- Elliot Temple
curicuri.us
Dialogs