I'm sure GIs and poliots didn't but scientists did and I'm sure those in charge of the program did as well.

Still no proof this is Agent Orange. It could be one of 10,000 other chemical or radiological uses or spills.

Or mom could have smoked weed when she was pregnant.

No way of knowing at this point.

Sure feels good to blame the Americans again though, doesn't it?

Sure feels good to wrap yourself in flagwavin' defensiveness yet again, doesnt it.

Occam's Razor cuts deep doesn't it?

Fuckin' A right, Bubba.

I go to Vietnam on a fairly regluar basis, call it a certain connection to the issue.
Sure are defensive aren't you? Maybe this one isn't Agent Orange related but the chances are it is, the shit is all though the ecosystem from top to bottom, it doesn't go away - the dioxin concentration was insane. Must suck to be unable to face up to stuff your country did 30 years ago - all in the name of an absract policy.

And beyond the blame or nonblame fest, here's a kid caught. Are there ways that Agent Orange can be cleaned up from the supersite we call Vietnam? Can the concentrations be reduced?

Is there a known genetic signature of the damage done by AO?

There are tests to some degree, they can test for levels of specific dioxins but they are very, very expensive. Stuff stays in the ecosystem for decades.

I have no problem facing up to what my country did, whether it was 30 years ago, or more recently.

If it's the result of something we actually did.

Um, it has been decades.

Has a study been done to show the long term occurances of deformities like this.

Is there a declining trend? A steady trend?

You're contradicting yourself. Noone I've come across denies that Agent Orange and the fucking nasty dioxins it contained are responsible for the disturbingly high rates of cancer, birth defects, neural diseases and other problems in South Vietnam. The North was never really sprayed, rates there are normal.

my question is... how does he close his eyes?

If there are no lingering dioxin related health problems based on documented actions, how come US Veterans who no longer have direct contact with the contamination have been legally recognized to receive compensation and health coverage specifically for Agent Orange related illnesses? While those who continue to live in documented US contaminated areas are suspect. That seems contradictory.

No, I'm not. I'm NOT denying that Agent Orange is bad stuff, or that it has potentially long lasting consequences.

All that I'm saying is that until the sad little dude's issues are identified as being the result of dioxin exposure, beating up on the US as being the responsible party is not justified.