There are some things that governments have to do because the profit motive prevents or deters private enterprise from taking on the project.
Good point, TEd, although I'm unsure it's genuinely about a difference between public and private money. JFK was a visionary and believer; he was also very good at sharing the vision and generating enthusiasm for it. If JFK had been running one of the huge multinational companies that exist these days, I feel fairly certain he would have been able to win over everyone necessary and get that company to do a Moonshot [yeah OK, he'd no doubt need to get the Government involved as well, but for the sake of clarity..]
Conversely, there are plenty of Governments, indeed the vast majority these days, that never do anything in the least bit imaginative and visionary. Such ventures are risky, and someone needs to put their head on the block. And money is money, whether it comes from taxpayers or shareholders.
It's a nice idea that Governments should be doing long-term visionary stuff, but what if there's no visible benefit before the next round of elections? Do you think the majority of the electorate will vote for long-term benefits that may be impossible to guarantee? Sadly I think not.
