Junk Science Plus Paula Jones Equals Agent Orange Benefits

Citing the recent National Academy of Sciences (NAS) report linking Agent Orange exposure of Vietnam veterans to prostate cancer and spina bifida in their children, President Clinton announced last week that Vietnam veterans would be offered compensation for these health effects.

Prostate cancer is common. As many as 20 percent of all U.S. men may suffer from prostate cancer during their lifetimes. Even the NAS (a frequent purveyor of junk science) concluded that there was only "limited/suggestive" evidence of a link between prostate cancer and Agent Orange. Epidemiology is only useful for rare diseases or large risks -- neither of which exist here.

Spina bifida. Click here to link to Mike Gough's Special Guest Commentary on the IOM report or click here to see a prior article on the spina bifida issue.

My favorite perspective on this issue comes from a May 31, 1996 editorial in The Washington Post (another frequent friend of junk science). As you may have heard, President Clinton tried to defend himself against the Paula Jones sexual harassment suit by claiming that, as Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, he was immune from lawsuit while on "active duty." The Washington Post actually summoned enough courage to suggest that President Clinton's announcement of the benefits was intended to atone for insulting veterans with his lame defense of being on active duty.

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Copyright © 1996 Steven J. Milloy. All rights reserved. Site developed and hosted by WestLake Solutions, Inc.