Intended (in the US at least) to be exercised only in the public interest, like to build a dam for flood control or a railroad right-of-way to facilitate commer

Intended (in the US at least) to be exercised only in the public interest, like to build a dam for flood control or a railroad right-of-way to facilitate commerce. I fully recognize that "public interest" can be twisted in all sorts of ways, but I agree with the GP comment that taking land from some people to give it directly to other people does not conform to my understanding of the spirit of the eminent domain law.