[Rictor]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/4339419.stm

Vietnamese plaintiffs have condemned a US court's decision to dismiss their legal action against manufacturers of Agent Orange during the Vietnam War.

The judge in the case said allegations the chemical caused birth defects and illness had not been proved.

...

However, in 1984, several chemical companies paid $180m (£93m) to settle a lawsuit with US war veterans, who said that their health had been affected by exposure to the substance.

[vyper]

"Justice for Some" - words above the Springfield courthouse in The Simpsons.

[karajorma]

What a load of crap. There's pretty damn conclusive evidence that the dioxins in Angent Orange are a potent carcinogen for one thing. I'm sure that there's equally strong evidence to support the birth defects argument.

Looks like yet another company being let off by the courts to me.

[aldo_14]

Ah, well, what you have to understand is that US war veterans are heroic heroes of democracy, whereas Vietnamese civillians were evil commie pinko liberal lefties (and probably terrorists to), and they also live very far away in a place that isn't on TV much.

[Sapphire]

 

[aldo_14]

If the companies are willing to settle with its own veterans, why not civillians?

They've already linked areas of Agent Orange use to high levels of dioxins in both the ground (180 times US EPA safe levels outside one particular base), and blood levels of civillians(200% in some cases) in the surrounding areas of spray sites.  And the dioxin - TCCD - has been established as dangerous (a carcinogen in particular), that's why they stopped using it in 1971.

[Sapphire]

 

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by Sapphire
Then tell me why our veterans are still being pooh-poohed when they bring up Agent Orange?

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for veterans AND civilians getting whats due them.  Its just that all the studies I've seen say there's not enough evidence.

Because it's politically expedient to do so.

[karajorma]

Dioxin is in fact one of the most carcinogenic compound known. If you want I can explain why it's virtually impossible to make Agent Orange without making it. I have the books right here

[Rictor]

If the companies were willing to settle out of court, that means they were convinced they would lose the case. Whatever the legal fees may have been, you can be rather sure it would not have amounted to $180 million.

Though it is obvious that not only were a greater number of Vietnamese affected, but they were also more affected, being not only the intended targets but having to live on that land for 35 odd years now, so their settlement should be far greater.