Before continuing with some of my recollections from U of Berkeley during the Free Speech Movement period, please read this penetrating article by Anatol Lieven: “The mask of imperialism-Anatol Lieven”
In it he mentions Hans J Morgenthau, a great realist thinker of the last century. I listened to many, many speeches during my last year at Berkeley 1964-5 but very, very few that resonated with me and Morgenthau was one. The other two were Milton Friedman and Edward Teller, the so-called father of the H bomb.
Edward Teller was a professor at Berkeley and after his speech I visited with him in his home near the campus. He explained why he had opposed dropping Atomic bombs on Japan. It was a fascinating day.
When I listened to Friedman, I vowed that I would die if I wasn’t able to study under him at the U of Chicago. I am still here so fortunately I did get my Ph.D. in economics from Chicago with Friedman as chairman of my dissertation committee. It transformed my life.
The most amusing recollection in my view was listening to Morgenthau. At the end of his fascinating speech, I was full of questions. If only, I said to myself, I could be in the room with him for an hour and ask them. A few years later as a grad student at Chicago I stepped into the elevator on my way to Friedman’s office and there, all alone, stood Hans J. Morgenthau. I couldn’t think of a single question and rode up to the 4th floor in silence.
If you would like to read more recollections of my—I must say—very interesting life, buy my autobiography. “Life of Warren C. – From the River to the Sea-All Should by Free”
Author: Warren Coats
I specialize in advising central banks on monetary policy and the development of the capacity to formulate and implement monetary policy. I joined the International Monetary Fund in 1975 from which I retired in 2003 as Assistant Director of the Monetary and Financial Systems Department. While at the IMF I led or participated in missions to the central banks of over twenty countries (including Afghanistan, Bosnia, Croatia, Egypt, Iraq, Israel, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kosovo, Kyrgystan, Moldova, Serbia, Turkey, West Bank and Gaza Strip, and Zimbabwe) and was seconded as a visiting economist to the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (1979-80), and to the World Bank's World Development Report team in 1989. After retirement from the IMF I was a member of the Board of the Cayman Islands Monetary Authority from 2003-10 and of the editorial board of the Cayman Financial Review from 2010-2017. Prior to joining the IMF I was Assistant Prof of Economics at UVa from 1970-75. I am currently a fellow of Johns Hopkins Krieger School of Arts and Sciences, Institute for Applied Economics, Global Health, and the Study of Business Enterprise. In March 2019 Central Banking Journal awarded me for my “Outstanding Contribution for Capacity Building.” My recent books are One Currency for Bosnia: Creating the Central Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina; My Travels in the Former Soviet Union; My Travels to Afghanistan; My Travels to Jerusalem; and My Travels to Baghdad. I have a BA in Economics from the UC Berkeley and a PhD in Economics from the University of Chicago. My dissertation committee was chaired by Milton Friedman and included Robert J. Gordon. I live in National Landing Va 22202
View all posts by Warren Coats
Warren's space 
Warren, Unexpected that E Teller opposed using the bomb in Japan (was that his position at the time ?) I believe the key event in ending the Pacific War was the Soviet military move against the Japanese army in Manchuria on August 8, 1945 – which left Japan with no hope of diplomatic support against the US. For me, Alperowitz is convincing. The Soviet intervention was planned at Yalta. In February…. to take place within 3 months of German surrender. I look forward to your autobiography. C Yahoo Mail – Email Simplified
Teller always apposed it as a first step. As we only had two bombs at the time he argued that we could convince the Japanese of its incredible power by exploding one of the shore of Tokyo. Other generals also argued against the need for them to end the war. These included Eisenhower, William Leahy, Doug MacArthur, Chester Nimitz and Curtis LeMay.