Yesterday, American Legion National Commander Clarence E. Hill announced to Vietnam era veterans that many who have been awaiting treatment for their diseases caused by Agent Orange deployed from 1962 and 1975 are going to get the help they need; after a 60 day review of course.
After 60 days, VA can begin paying benefits for new claims and may award benefits retroactively if a veteran had previously filed under the old law and was denied benefits; which was the case with over 90,000 claims.
Commander Hill said that “VA is doing the right thing, and this is really going to be a great help to the many Vietnam veterans who’ve struggled for years to get recognition and treatment for these disorders"
“This will really help ease the difficult process for them, and in the long run, will help VA process these claims much more quickly than they have in the past."
Back in March VA had announced "an aggressive new initiative to solicit private-sector input on a proposed “fast track” Veterans’ claims process for service-connected presumptive illnesses due to Agent Orange exposure during the Vietnam War." This was to be implemented in 150 days and they seem to have hit that deadline.
But Libertarians ask, why has it taken you 35 years? And why have you denied 90,000 claims?
Agent Orange
Agent Orange is the moniker given to the most widely used blend of Chlorophenoxy herbicides deployed in Vietnam, Cambodia, and North Korea by the United States military. These defoliants were used to destroy plants that provided cover and food for the Vietcong. Tactical spraying was normally followed by a napalm/fire attack to wholly eradicate huge swaths of vegetation. They were sprayed by both aircraft and by hand during Operation Ranch Hand and Operation Traildust (declassified).
Initially deployed in a test scenario by President Kennedy in 1961, it ultimately gained widespread use in March of 1962; continuing through May of 1975. It has been reported that after nine years of heavy use, 18 million gallons of these chemicals had been sprayed on an estimated 20% of South Vietnam’s jungles and 36% of its mangrove forests.
These toxins were later determined to be extremely dangerous to humans and the cause of many forms of cancer and other neurological diseases like Parkinson's and Type 2 Diabetes suffered by many returning U.S. military and Vietnamese citizens according to a 1987 World Health Organization report.
Illnesses Associated
Some of the illnesses that are said to have been caused by the spraying of Chlorophenoxy herbicides include soft tissue sarcoma, Hodgkin disease, B-cell leukemias, respiratory cancers, prostate and testicular cancers, multiple myeloma, Parkinson disease, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and even spina bifida in the children of veterans.
The American Cancer Society also raises concerns about other conditions in exposed veterans; including "psychiatric illnesses and other nervous system problems, asthma, immune system disorders, digestive diseases, infertility, and birth defects other than spina bifida."
Though they note that according to the Institute of Medicine, there isn't enough evidence to determine a link between these conditions and Agent Orange exposure.
Veterans finally get help
The regulation adds Parkinson's disease and ischemic heart disease to the list of presumptive disorders associated with Agent Orange and will expand chronic lymphocytic leukemia to include all chronic B cell leukemias, such as hairy cell leukemia. By adding these conditions to the presumptive list of disabilities, veterans will no longer have to provide the burden of proof and can greatly speed their applications to receive benefits, especially access to VA health-care services.
Veterans who served in Vietnam any time from Jan. 9, 1962, to May 7, 1975, are presumed to have been exposed to the toxins and any claims regarding the acknowledged diseases will be accepted and apparently will be fast-tracked.
In addition, many veterans are potentially eligible for retroactive disability payments based on past claims. VA will review approximately 90,000 previously denied claims from Vietnam veterans for service-connection status for the conditions. All those awarded service-connection distinction who are not currently eligible for enrollment into the VA health-care system will become eligible.
Spiraling Unintended Consequences
VA spends $34 billion a year on disability benefits for all wars.
More than a quarter of the 1 million Vietnam vets currently on disability, 270,000 to be exact, claim diabetes as a result of Agent Orange exposure. A conservative estimate puts the cost to taxpayers at $850 million per year, not including retroactive judgments.
The leading cause of human death, heart disease, was just added to the list of automatically awarded conditions. The VA estimated earlier this year that heart disease alone could cost taxpayers more than $30 billion over the next decade.
Politicians have been suspiciously silent on the subject of cost; possibly because their Party standard-bearers (Kennedy-Johnson-Nixon) were the tyrants to send these men halfway around the globe and subsequently poison them. One could also point to them perpetrating a few undeclared wars of their own and they could avoid upsetting morale by not touching it. Maybe they are silent because of their planned war against Iran, don't want to affect recruitment...even more likely; they would like to get re-elected.
But the director of the Institute for Global Health at USC, Jonathan M. Samet, said "There needs to be a discussion about the costs, about how to avoid false positives while also trying to be sure the system bends over backwards to be fair to the veterans."
The list of automatic medical problems has grown to include seven ailments with only a "limited or suggestive" link to Agent Orange and erectile dysfunction associated with diabetes rose to seventh on the list of claims by Vietnam vets.
The Answer
These men deserve to have their medical expenses taken care of and it should have been done decades ago.
Because when taxpayers allow its government to send Americans off to fight on foreign soil without a declaration of war, they should be forced to absorb any cost associated with their use of force.
Unfortunately for many of us who oppose these foreign incursions, it isn't "the government" that absorbs these costs. It's the taxpayer; you, me, and our neighbors.
So, how do we avoid these huge costs; both human and monetary?
Libertarians oppose all use of force, especially the paradoxical falsehood of "preventative war". In fact, it disgusts most of us that our fellow Americans have disregarded the "just war" theory. Yet, quite different from the isolationism libertarians are typically labeled with; like the rattlesnake of the Gadsden Flag, libertarians would unleash a deadly strike when violated.
Libertarians generally oppose war for many other reasons other than we don't like to see other humans killed and mangled, as if any are needed.
But for one, libertarians understand the nature of money and credit seemingly better than most. We understand that the only mechanism governments around the world have to perpetuate massively expensive wars in the name of The People is borrowing upon the labor of future citizens from their private central bank. Libertarians abhor tax and loathe to saddle our children with our debt and thus oppose the prevailing frivolous war culture on basic economic grounds.
Secondly, libertarians have read the words of our forefathers, whereas the other political factions ("left" and "right") seem to have not even heard of Jefferson, Franklin, or Washington. Because they were pretty adamant that future generations should avoid trading liberty for a sense of security and warned of "entangling alliances" that would threaten our future security. Yet "both" sides are quick to sign "mutual defense treaties" and continue to enter into binding economic sanctions against "mutual enemies".
In addition, we understand that when American boots hit the ground in foreign lands, it makes the rest of us less safe everywhere else. Imagine that the armies of Oceania invaded Washington State, would Americans be expected to welcome these invaders? Or would Americans be completely justified to use violence to repel the foreign invaders or "infidels"? It simply takes putting the proverbial "shoe on the other foot" to see how the Mujahideen and Vietcong will fight to the death in defense of their families and way of life.
But unfortunately for Americans and the rest of the world, our "leaders" believe that leaving only 50,000 American troops constitutes an end to a war. It remains to be seen if Americans buy it, but you can be sure that libertarians don't.
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