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by hannob 1139 days ago
If you take the train and not the car, you cause a lot less externalities.
1 comments

It may be the case that I cause a lot less externalities, but I don't think that affects the definition of a public good. If I visited my friend by using a motorcycle, I'd cause less externalities too, but I don't think motorcycles are public goods. Same with scooters, e-bikes and normal bikes.
> but I don't think that affects the definition of a public good

You happen to be misconstruing the two definitions of "public good":

> a commodity or service that is provided without profit to all members of a society, either by the government or a private individual or organization.

> the benefit or well-being of the public.

As such, something can be a "public good" without being "a benefit".

[0] https://www.google.com/search?q=public+goods&si=AMnBZoHHbOut...

I don't think I'm misconstruing these two definitions, because I didn't talk about the definitions you just brought up. I also think it is quite clear that I'm talking about what the government should or shouldn't provide, not what some specific government currently is providing.
Because reality requires these things of us but we should minimize the impact.

You’re just stringing words together to look smart; physical reality calls the shots. Your attempt to conjure some immutable truth in Anglo gibberish is banal