The idea that the point of government is to somehow make a profit seems absurd to me. Any money the government makes is by definition money wasted.

With our deficit near $2 trillion dollars, nobody is worried about the government making a profit. Anyone reasonable is just worried about it being able to pay its already massive debt without triggering hyperinflation or the collapse the world's economy.

If you look at it in terms of abstract benefit rather than profit, it makes sense. We shouldn't be doing things where the cost is much more than the benefit.

A lot of political issues sort of boil down to how you estimate the upside of things.