Friday October 16, 2009, 8:12 am
Ohhhhhhhhhhhh Just this is some bad crap....Not good it should have never been used...but then again humans love to make atrocites(whatever) happen to others...ughhhhhhhhh and then it backfires...

Big gorilly Hgus

Friday October 16, 2009, 8:13 am
According to the article, the VA estimates that there may be as many as 200,000 U.S. veterans who are suffering from Agent Orange-related illnesses. But according to a court case brought on behalf of Vietnamese victims, which was dismissed by a U.S. Federal District Judge who ruled that there was "no basis for the claims," there are at least three million Vietnamese -- possibly as many as 4.8 million -- who are suffering the same Agent Orange-related illnesses as American veterans and their children.

WTF!!!!!!!!!

Friday October 16, 2009, 9:13 am

Sending a Green Star is a simple way to say "Thank you"
You cannot currently send a star to Just because you have done so within the last week.

Horrible! And, yes, it is about time! Thanks, Just C.

Friday October 16, 2009, 9:25 am

I can only shake my head in disgust at the irresponsible, long-term devastation we have wreaked on those civilians . . . in addition to our own troops.

How many have already died from the ravages of this "newly acknowledged" health threat -- for which treatment was denied for 38 years?

Friday October 16, 2009, 9:59 am
My heart just aches, so very sad and needless.

Friday October 16, 2009, 10:07 am
Thanks Carole. This is just another part of an insidious legacy left behind by Monsanto and others.

Making matters worse, the companies involved threw a paltry $1,200 at the most affected ventrans in 1984. From Wikipedia -

"Since the 1980s, several lawsuits have been filed against the companies which produced Agent Orange, among them Dow Chemical, Monsanto, and Diamond Shamrock (which produced 5%[36]). U.S. veterans obtained a $180 million settlement in 1984, with most affected veterans receiving a one-time lump sum payment of $1,200. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs, shortly after the Vietnam War veterans reported various health complications which can be traced to exposure to the chemical Agent Orange."

Why are these people still allowed to manufacture deadly chemicals?

Friday October 16, 2009, 10:20 am

True, Karen. But, our military embraces these "innovations" and pays dearly for them -- with our tax dollars.

I really wish people would consider how much is kept from the American public about the far-reaching and ghoulish methods used to destroy the lives of others before jumping on the bandwagon for war.
 
This includes an unprecedented "ban" on photos of fallen American troops:
 
Censorship we can believe in: Photos of Military Deaths in Afghanistan Banned 15 Oct 2009 The U.S. military in eastern Afghanistan recently changed its media embed rules to ban pictures of troops killed in the war. "Media will not be allowed to photograph or record video of U.S. personnel killed in action," says a ground rules document issued Sept. 15 by Regional Command East at Bagram Air Field. This language is new... Pictures of American military deaths are rare, but until now they have not been officially banned during either of the ongoing wars. The new language was added in early September, according to a military spokesperson, Master Sgt. Tom Clementson of Regional Command East Public Affairs.
 

Friday October 16, 2009, 10:51 am

Ya know, there are many who "buy" the excuse that, "We don't want photos of injured or killed American soldiers being published out of respect for the families of the fallen."

If that's true, then please explain to me why those same people who manufactured that lie also denied claims FOR 38 YEARS for those same soldiers who have been adamantly complaining of their illnesses????

Where is THEIR respect and loyalty? What future genetic distortions, and long-denied repercussions, will we see from the present weapons being used?

What kind of MONSTERS are we supporting with our tax dollars? How is loyalty to our troops defined as sending MORE? WHO -- or what corporation(s) are benefitting from these trillions of dollars spent for destruction (and that's just today, the numbers from years of resulting damage is not included).

HOW MUCH LONGER are we going to keep supporting this senseless carnage . . . even to the point of offering our children's lives?

Friday October 16, 2009, 10:51 am
Thannxx so much for this article.. Our guys are "sleeping with the enemy" in that they are unwittingly sent in by the government.... exposed to these elements... without them really knowing the consequences of this.... this is a totally unacceptable scenario.. about time they came and were up front, took responsibility for this..

Friday October 16, 2009, 11:13 am
I haven't heard of a political party who didn't campaign on "more transparency" in governmental affairs. Blocking out the reality of wars by hiding behind the condescending attitude that we're better off not knowing what the carnage of war looks like or who is profiting from it doesn't seem very transparent to me. The more things change, the more they stay the same. There always seems to be exceptions to the rules that make it okay for the Administration of the day to withhold the truth from us. They just have to be creative about how they spin it so people can buy into it.

Friday October 16, 2009, 11:24 am

Thank you, Karen!

We, as Americans, can only make intelligent decisions as long as we are provided with truthful information. It does little good for us to find out reality 38 years after the fact.

Call me cynical (I've been called worse) . . . but I find it hard to believe that these "omissions" of fact are for our own "good."

Friday October 16, 2009, 1:13 pm
Thank you.!! Noted. Yeah, agent orange was a wonderful thing, NOT!!! And let's not forget vaccines!!! Yeah our government loves us!!

Friday October 16, 2009, 1:14 pm
Hold onto your seat-belts, because Agent Orange may be a picnic compared to the devastation of depleted uranium in Iraq, and too many soldiers were wearing inadequate masks & duct tape (while certain parties profited from these economical measures).

Friday October 16, 2009, 3:06 pm
Pamylle my sons best friend is suffering with something from being over in Iraq. I think it showed up quick on him for he was almost albino and his skin so fair. He had all sorts of open sores and he couldn't breathe well. Army is trying to deny that any of this is related to his being over in Iraq. He is only 21...joined because a girl dumped him so wanted to run away from it all....now he has all this.
The people who lived in VietNam suffer, suffer from all that was done over there. Couldn't miss them, they toil in those fields, live nearby. Yet they were the ones who we were suppose to be helping?
My late husband use to hire Veterans who had served in VietNam, as he knew how messed up they were and couldn't always show up every day due to PTSD or physical sickness from agent orange. He would compensate working his butt off to make up for the days they did not show, but he said, no-one will keep them on the job if they can't show up daily, but I understand WHY they can't. I was always so grateful I had married a man with a Heart. They say the good die young, so I guess it is why he went to the Spirit World a younger man.

War...huh...yeah
What is it good for?
Absolutely NOTHING

WAR! I despise,
'cause it means destruction of innocent lives,
War means tears to thousands of mother's eyes,
When their sons gone to fight and lose their lives.
WAR! It ain't nothing but a heartbreaker,
War. Friend only to the undertaker.
Ohhh! War is an enemy to all mankind,
The thought of war blows my mind.
War is caused and raised within the younger generation,
Induction then destruction...who wants to die?
WAR! It ain't nothing but a heartbreaker,
War! It's got one friend that's the undertaker.
Ohhhh! War has shattered many a young man's dream,
Made him disabled, bitter and mean,
Life is much too short and precious to spend fighting wars these days.
War can't give life; it can only take it away!
By Edwin Starr—WAR!

Friday October 16, 2009, 3:12 pm

Thank you so much, Sheryl, for adding a human touch to a story too often told with statistics.

I'm with you, dear friend. We need to stop dehumanizing war.

Much love.

Friday October 16, 2009, 4:32 pm
We need to identify our REAL enemies; to go after the Corporations that make Mega-profits from War. The Arms makers; the Chemical Consortiums; the Energy Companies; the "Contractors" of Supplies and Mercenary Fighters.

After WWI, these were called "Merchants of Death"; but, somehow, that ACCURATE terminology was forgotten, as the paid-for-by-the-Corporations propaganda machines got into full swing.

A Corporation can have no heart, no soul, no Conscience. It is ONLY fixated on MAXIMIZING PROFITS; exists for NOTHING ELSE. It is potentially IMMORTAL. If by inheritance or some other means, a relatively enlightened and humane and kind person is cast up to "lead" the Corporation, they are QUICKLY GOTTEN RID OF, so that the Almighty Corporation can "stay competitive" with other greedy, grasping profit-taking Corporations.

We need to find means to REIN IN the Corporations; ideally, to dissolve them. Corporations make a hypocritical MOCKERY of the idea they are always blathering about in their "defense", the "Free Market". There IS NO SUCH THING, in an Economic field where the Corporations dominate. PROFIT, is and always has been, the most inhuman, inhumane value. {Profit, means, in any exchange between us, I get MORE than you, ha ha!} PROFIT is LEACHING THE EARTH of ALL its resources; and not putting anything back. Ha ha indeed!

Whole tracts of Viet Nam, Iraq, and now who knows how many other areas, are and will be made UNFIT FOR HUMAN HABITATION by Agent Orange {not all that unlike poison Herbicides and Pesticides used regularly everywhere by Big Agro}, Radiation from Depleted Uranium {and Nuclear Waste seeping into the ground}, Land Mines {sown in the ground and made on purpose to look like toys for children}..... and who knows what other horrors. But hey, it's worth it!, some American and International Corporations are REALLY ENJOYING THEIR BOTTOM LINE......

Wars are being fought not to "spread Democracy" and such rot. They are being fought to CONTROL RESOURCES. CORPORATIONS are the ones benefitting. To SHARE RESOURCES equitably on the Planet for the benefit of ALL, not the gigantic Profits of a very FEW, we need to TAKE BACK our govts from the Control of the Corporations; REMOVE the Corporations from the picture.

Good Luck trying. But, it must be attempted.......

Friday October 16, 2009, 4:36 pm

Bless you for telling TRUTH . . . Barb!

(You're a wonder, and a wonderful human.)

Friday October 16, 2009, 5:08 pm

Combat “Enablers”: DON’T GO!!! Open letter to the troops from Gold Star Mom, Cindy Sheehan

"Dear Combat “Enablers” and other Troops,

I read an article in the Army Times recently that said 3000 more troops will be deployed to Afghanistan and 1000 more to Iraq.

“The troops are what the military calls “combat enablers” — noncombat troops who specialize in areas such as intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; explosives ordnance disposal; medical and mental health; and personnel administration. They will deploy in team-sized elements as opposed to larger units,” according to the article.

This follows close on the heels of Admiral Michael Mullen (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) going before the Senate September 15th to ask for more troops and Stanley “the Goon” McChrystal, (death squad leader and commander in Afghanistan) is expected to request more troops soon in his much awaited assessment of the mess, which will be hereafter be called: “assess-mess” to save time.

Since the Democratic Congress has already appropriated an additional 100 billion dollars and , because their leader has called Afghanistan a “war of necessity,” the followers of your Commander in Chief have stood down in the anti-war arena so I can only regretfully and gloomily predict more future disaster and body bags in the Middle East.

As a mother who had a son killed in Iraq, this is my personal message to you:

First of all, even if the military calls you a “combat enabler” and not a combat “troop,” my son was a humvee mechanic who was killed in a mission he was forced to go on just hours after he arrived on post in Baghdad.

Being a “combat enabler,” especially the “jobs” listed above, “enables” other people to more “efficiently” kill innocents with your complicity. Even if you don’t get innocent blood directly on your hands, in the eyes of the law, you are just as responsible.

Also, Iraq-Af-Pak are illegal wars of aggression that are inherently WAR CRIMES. Your oath is to protect the Constitution. The Uniform Code of Military Justice compels you to disobey illegal orders. Why would you want to go and support the war profiteers by harming yourself or harming others by breaking international laws and our own laws here at home.

Many of your colleagues are being blown to pieces and their loved ones are lucky if they get a scrap of their soldier to bury. Too many more of your Brothers and Sisters are being wounded and will have to exist with physical handicaps for the rest of their lives. I know World War II vets who have lasting illnesses because of their service! UNTIL YOU DIE! Can you imagine living decades with traumatic brain injury, or any other disability?

According to statistics from the VA, 18 vets per day commit suicide, and 1000 more attempt suicide every month. Please don’t think that you can’t become a statistic!

If you can’t think of your own well being, or of your other loved ones, think of your Mother. Do you want her to see what I saw on April 04, 2004?

I was eating a nice meal, watching CNN around 5pm that afternoon. For the two weeks that Casey had been out of the country, I couldn’t eat, sleep, concentrate or function fully as a human being. Having four active children that went on Scouting trips and other youth group trips, I was a champion worrier. However, the worry I felt for my oldest child when he was needlessly in a combat zone far surpassed any other worry I had ever experienced.

That afternoon, as I watched CNN, a report from Iraq came on. It showed a humvee burning and reported (very quickly) that “8 troops had been killed in Baghdad that day.” I looked at Casey’s dad and said: “One of them was Casey,” and we didn’t even know where he was stationed yet.

Four hours later, I decided to take our dogs Buster and Chewy for their nightly walk. As I walked around our usual route I was sobbing with worry and anxiety. Unfortunately, when I got home from my walk, I could see through the front door that there were 3 Army Officers standing in my living room. Casey’s dad was standing there with a pair of pants in his hands that he was folding when the Heralds of Death came to our door. Casey’s sister had just come home from work and she was standing there with a stricken look on her face.

I collapsed into the house and fell on the floor screaming in the worst pain I had every felt before, or since. The physical pain of losing a child, which I call childdeath is immeasurably worse than the pain of childbirth. Then there’s the emotional and psychic pain to make things even worse. When I hear of anyone dying from these immoral wars of occupation, the wound is ripped open and I never get a chance to heal.

Casey went over to Iraq before the incontrovertible proof that it was based on lies was shown. Now, five and a half years after he died, there is absolutely not one shred of proof that Iraq-Af-Pak are anything but needless wastes of life and our nations’ treasure. Casey didn’t want to go, but he felt it was his duty, It was never his duty to die for lies and war profiteering.

Dear Troops, Casey’s Brothers and Sisters, I beg you as a mother: DO NOT GO!

You signed a contract, but you signed a contract with a government that has no feeling for you other than to make you cannon fodder or bullet sponges for the War Machine and for geo-political chaos.

I am pleading with you…do not let yourself be so misused by your Commander in Chief and your military superiors—they are only “superior” to you by their rank; their callousness and cowardice make them realistically far inferior to you.

You may say: “Cindy, but if I don’t go, I may have to go to prison,” which may be true or it may not. Lt. Ehren Watada did not have to go to prison after he refused deployment to Iraq and thousands of you rightfully go AWOL every year.

Even if you do go to prison for taking a principled stand, wouldn’t that be better than killing a baby in one of those countries, or killing your own mother’s baby?

You may also say: “Cindy it’s easy for you to say, you are not risking prison yourself.” But I do, I risk it everyday because I am a conscientious tax objector. I refuse to pay my income taxes. Personally, I find it morally repugnant to be a combat “enabler.”

Please don’t bloody your hands for the Empire.

Peace is only possible if we do the morally upright thing, because our governments will not.

Love & Peace

Cindy Sheehan

Mother of Casey Sheehan: KIA in the USA’s Criminal War on Terror: April 04, 2004"
 

Friday October 16, 2009, 6:29 pm
Agent Orange and other toxins caused not only birth defects and illnesses but damage to the ecosystems of Vietnam. In many places, the forest has not grown back; instead a very tough grass which is nick-named "American grass" grows, which is very hard if not impossible to remove. Also:

"A consequence of defoliation and bombing has been accelerated soil erosion and nutrient leaching. This is particularly the case on steep slopes with rapid run-off, but soils on level ground are also subject to leaching and compaction, or hardening. This results in a hard crust of laterite, useless for both forests and agriculture.

Neither can it be assumed that “nature will take its course” and eventually re-establish the forest. The evidence shows that “pioneer vegetation” often consists of hardy grasses, such as Imperata cylindrica (dubbed “American grass” by the Vietnamese) and bamboo, particularly

in the areas sprayed more than once. These densely rooted plants are almost impossible to eradicate, even by fire, and prevent the spontaneous regrowth of the original broadleaf forest.

The forest also serves as a regulator for the rate of surface run-off. The dry and wet monsoons are sharply differentiated in southern Vietnam, and forest destruction has led to summer flooding and winter droughts."

http://www.ffrd.org/AO/CGFED/07Gendreau.pdf

http://www.greenleft.org.au/1993/106/5903

Friday October 16, 2009, 11:17 pm
Agent Orange should never have been used. I think Australia is also involved in the spreading of this dreadful stuff in Vietnam, correct me if I'm wrong. I believe Pamylle is right about the horrors yet to come from the depleted uranium use in Iraq.
It's all too sad!

Saturday October 17, 2009, 3:49 am
Thanks Just! Another reason I detest Monsanto! There's no excuse for biological warfare! Enemy or not, no people should have to suffer and their kids suffer and their kids, etc. Here is a video I think is quite good;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJxb7CY13uc
Note some of the awful cold comments on this vid! Unbelievable that people can hate to the point of saying anyone deserves what Agent Orange or like chemicals do!

Saturday October 17, 2009, 8:20 am
Yes, this was a human disaster...but nobody ever comments on the environmental disaster we caused with this "deforestation" effort. How many millions of animals died because of it? How much genetic damage did we do? It can never happen again.

Saturday October 17, 2009, 8:28 am

You make an excellent point, Pam.

I, too, have often wondered exactly how much ecological damage all these wars (with their fires, chemicals, pollution) cause.

Odd, that -- while many people are concerned about the damage caused by use of plastic bags, car emissions, eating meat, etc. -- the environmental impact of wars in major regions of the world is not mentioned.

Saturday October 17, 2009, 2:41 pm
Exactly, J.Carole! I work in a large zoo and know something about the effects of environmental disasters on large areas. People in Viet Nam are STILL impacted by what happened there, whether it's obvious or not. As Koo points out (above) one small factor influences another and another and ANOTHER.

Saturday October 17, 2009, 8:24 pm
Our government officials teach us every day how NOT to be accountable. It is so much easier to pretend things don't exist. Therefore, they do exist. Thanks for the reminder.

Monday October 19, 2009, 5:02 am
It's asbout time the government acknowledged their responsibility for causing so many different illnesses as a result of using Agent Orange in Viet Nam. Thanks for the post Just!

Thursday October 22, 2009, 6:25 pm
TY CAROLE! AN HORROR