As a former communist/turned free enterprise libertarian, what is your opinion of plans to tear down hydro dams in the west?
If the Democrat plan is for us to become energy independent, thus making us less likely to engage in adventures in the Middle East (and according to them that, and Isreal are the only reasons we're there) why would they continue to remove the means to supply clean electrical power?
In California I suspect that some of your old comrades that frequented the Trotsky bookstore on Telegraph Ave. in Berkeley back in the 60's & 70's are the ones in charge at the Department of Water Resources now. They are in the process of taking over all of Pacific Gas & Electric generating facilities (those that aren't going to be dismantled for Salmon recovery projects) as well as hundreds of thousands of acres of PG&E land, and lakes. And from what I hear, the same movement is afoot on the Columbia River system. And on those dams left, water releases for fish, downstream salinity control, or any "priority" other than electrical generation, is reducing output of power in general.
Do you think these people are dishonest, or stupid, or both perhaps?

If we aould get cracking on Easy Low Cost No Radiation Fusion it wouldn't matter.

In fact if we had cheap fusion tearing down the dams might be a good idea if we had a way to control floods.

I have a lot of fond memories of Bezerkeley. Revolution was in the air. Heady times. Fortunately the American people were smarter than I was back then. LOL.

Ignorance of economics is the main cause.

The antidote is: Free to Choose - video

Thank you for directing us to Arnold's intro to Milton Friedman's "Free to Choose" PBS special.
Made some 20 years ago it was a breath of fresh air at the time. But as I've aged 20 years, so has Arnold. And I don't know who is more cynical now, me or the Governator.
Have you looked at how he is transforming himself from a pro-business, libertarian minded man into an environmental nut case?
And not to be outdone by the socialists in Sacramento, he's getting ready to propose state sponsored, and state enforced health care for all.
And I wonder if Arnold sees himself now in the role of philosopher king, where he can use his position and statism to do good.
Given his almost Nietzschean outlook, I wouldn't be surprised. He's undoubtedly read, in the original German, "Beyond Good & Evil".

As to Milton Friedman, I've stated my opinion on this site before, and don't want to go there. Suffice it to say, no matter what he preached that is true about economics, he helped a dictator who killed and tortured his own citizens.
BTW, there is a nice apologia at George Reisman's site for Pinochet. (georgereisman.com)

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I have an apologia for Pinochet at Power and Control - Pinochet

There are two keys. He changed the Chilean economy for at least 30 years. Now fastest growing in Latin America - how many lives has that saved? How much private torture has that prevented?

He left office in favor of self government. How is Fidel doing?

Sadly, we live in a fallen world. Sometimes you have to break a few eggs to make an omlet.

The question is: after the eggs are broken will you get an omlet or egg shells?

The example of South Korea and Taiwan are instructive in this regard.

BTW the Shinning Path folks he was going after were some very nasy people. Very nasty. Pinochet was a choir boy by comparison.

Here is the end tag of my piece:

Pinochet killed 3,000 and made Chile richer. Castro has killed 10X as many and made Cuba poorer. In an imperfect world which would I back?

Hard question.

Here is a link to Reisman On Pinochet

Shining Path was Peru not Chile.

Obviously I was confused.