From: doug@netcom.com (Doug Merritt)
Date: Sat, 1 Jan 94 20:43:53 PST
To: cypherpunks@toad.com
Subject: Re: Radiation experiments & not trusting gov
In-Reply-To: <MIKEINGLE@delphi.com>
Message-ID: <199401020443.UAA26974@mail.netcom.com>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain


Mike Ingle <MIKEINGLE@delphi.com> said:
>I was disgusted but not particularly surprised to read about these
>experiments. It's been known for many years that they deliberately
>exposed troops to atomic fallout and chemical weapons to determine
>their effects. They also tested LSD, mind control, and truth drugs
>on unsuspecting human lab rats.

I agree with Perry, and even more with what Mike there. Considering
that such *has* been well known for so many years, I was a little
bit startled at the current media reaction to the radiation experiments.
Did they only just wake up or something? Or more likely, it's just
been a few years since the media has had the opportunity to make
a fuss over such things, so now it's "fresh news" again, as if that
category of things had never happened before.

BTW on the subject of how much was known about the long term effects
of low level radiation exposure 4 or 5 decades ago: *LOTS*! Let
us not forget that the nuclear age was not ushered in during WWII;
decades prior to that it was well known that prolonged exposure
to low level radiation could cause hideous cases of cancer. Remember
the radium elixer cases? The luminous watchdial painters? (I think the
latter came up twice; once early on with radium-based pigments, and
again later with tritium.) What did Madame Curie die of? Even Roentgen
got cancer from x-raying his hand so much.

That's a bit of a digression, but people seem to forget, so there it
is for the record.

>Unfortunately, these people are exactly the type who seek power, and
>the culture of militarism and secrecy helps them to ignore any small
>amount of humanity they might otherwise have.

True enough, but that doesn't really explain why the participating
*physicians* did it. Probably 50% callousness and 50% willful ignorance,
I would guess.

>If you want to change the world, don't protest. Write code!

I've been quiet here the last few months because that's what I mainly
do. :-)
	Doug Merritt