Greetings!
I’m not afraid to take strong stances on political and social issues. Today’s environment usually finds me in the camp of the Progressives, but does that make me a shill for Progressive positions? Do I mindlessly parrot propaganda, or do I choose logical positions based on the general welfare? Thanks to an article in this month’s newsletter, that’s more than just a rhetorical question…
One of the newer weapons in the US/NATO arsenal is Depleted Uranium (DU). Made from
spent nuclear fuel, DU rounds shatter and burn on impact leaving a fine dust of low-level radioactive particles that stay in the environment for the full 4.5-billion-year half-life of the DU. Doctors in Fallujah are blaming DU for a catastrophic rise in infant deaths and abnormalities, and US doctors are investigating links between DU and Gulf War Syndrome. Nothing is proven yet, but there is strong evidence supporting these associations. Our “News To Make You Furious” column this month is about the use of DU in Iraq, including its effect on Iraqi births, medical and technical information from a variety of sources, and an organization that’s trying to do something about it. We also put together a KPOJ spot on the issue, and built a DU page on our website.
Here’s where it gets interesting. Before the newsletter article went out, even before the KPOJ spot had run, a gentleman named Lt. Col. (USAF Reserve, ret) Roger Helbig contacted us to set us straight on the issue. He left a very animated phone message then sent his first email which included:
“Your web page about DU is the answer to the Iraqi propagandists’ prayer. Are you proud of that? You have loaded it with lies and I presume that you don’t actually know anything about the subject so I suggest that you stick to fixing cars, which I presume that you do know about!”
His second email apologized (sort of) for the tone of his first, then called us “liars” and “recruiters for America’s enemies”, and went on to assault the reputation and credentials of Major Douglas Rokke, one of the leading voices against DU (although we didn’t actually include anything from Maj. Rokke in our DU article). Lt. Col. Helbig then referenced two articles to prove DU was harmless (both links were to the same article, strangely by a Captain Doug Rokke) and finished up by telling us that DU has not been used anywhere in the world since 2003.
A little research showed us not to take Col. Helbig’s attacks too personally; he apparently spends quite a bit of time “debunking” DU information. However, “not taking it personally” isn’t the same as “not taking it seriously”. To build a ‘logical position based on facts” we have to consider all aspects of an issue. If Lt. Col. Helbig raises legitimate questions, shouldn’t they be addressed? Let’s take a few of them point-by-point…
- We’re helping Iraqi propagandists- No, we’re not. We’re letting people know about serious allegations that have a reasonable chance of being true. A propagandist may make use of the truth for evil ends, but I don’t think ignoring truth is a reasonable alternative.
- We’re spreading lies- No we’re not. We’re telling you about an issue that shocked us, and giving some of the background and science that goes with it. We directed you to a variety of newspaper articles, medical journals, and scientific papers that describe the history and support the thesis of our article.
- DU is safe- No, it’s not. DU is mostly uranium 235, an isotope of the U238 in nuclear reactors. It’s not as radioactive as plutonium or even the original U238, but it is both chemically and radioactively toxic. More importantly, the DU described in the articles Lt. Col. Helbig referenced is DU in the form of whole ammunition, not microscopic dust. Since the dust has a half-life in the human body of about 5000 days, breathing it in makes a difference. That doesn’t PROVE it is responsible for the Iraqi horrors, but it isn’t “safe”.
- Major Rokke is unqualified- Apparently this is an issue Maj. Rokke has faced before, because he had to fax a copy of his qualifications to the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission. But assume for the moment that Rokke was a sociopathic liar… he’s not the only person making these allegations. The validity of the science surrounding DU is not dependent on just one guy, so even if he IS unqualified (and it seems like he is, although we have no way to tell for sure from here) it wouldn’t make the allegations untrue.
- DU has not been used since 2003- Not really sure on this one. We tried to confirm this with both military and civilian sources. Some agree with Lt. Col. Helbig, others don’t. However, DU is the standard round for the M1A1 Abrams tank and it seems unlikely that we would have shelved one of our newest war toys for the last 12 years without reason.
We’ve addressed most of Lt .Col. Helbig’s points above, but there’s a question that he’s obligated to answer in return. There IS an overwhelming and sudden increase in infant deaths and birth defects in a defined geographic area, an increase that began just after our assault with radioactive weapons on that same area. Granted, it could be coincidence, but is it LIKELY to be coincidence? DU provides a reasonable, scientific explanation that fits the observed facts. Lt. Col. Helbig has to do more than simply deny it’s true.
I’ll take Lt .Col. Helbig’s advice on one thing, though… we’ll mostly “stick to fixing cars” because we’re NOT qualified to evaluate the long-term health effects of low-level radioactive nanoparticles. I imagine the same goes for Lt. Col. Helbig. I’ll also agree with him on something else (although for different reasons)… you shouldn’t take our word for any of this. We ARE an automotive shop, and not a news outlet. We can’t do the first-person investigative reporting that used to be standard for news agencies. WE COULD BE WRONG, AND SO COULD EVERYONE ELSE. DU MAY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH THIS, BUT IT’S NOT VERY DAMN LIKELY. So, now that you’re aware of the situation, find out as much as you can for yourself. Read the SCIENCE, not the opinion or propaganda. DEMAND real, in-depth information from the sources YOU trust. Make real, rational evaluations to the best of your ability. And then, if you come to the conclusion we did, TAKE ACTION! DON’T LET THIS STUPIDITY CONTINUE IN YOUR NAME!
Make a great day,
Tom
