Agent Orange and America at war in Vietnam and Southeast Asia

摘要

The "treadmill of destruction," as outlined by Hooks and Smith (2004, 2005, 2012), is a theoretical frame for understanding the environmental impacts and the related adverse consequences of militarism and war-making. One story that has been missed in this larger narrative about militarism and war-making is the use of Agent Orange and other herbicides during the American war in Vietnam and Southeast Asia. This story is told in several parts through the use of secondary sources. First, the origins and nature of Agent Orange and the related herbicides are briefly outlined. Second, the scope, scale, and nature of the military use of herbicides during the war are documented. Third, the adverse environmental, health, and economic consequences of herbicide use are discussed. Fourth, the argument is made that herbicide use during the war resulted from a set of interrelated geopolitical and domestic tensions. Fifth, recent developments in this fifty-year story are briefly discussed. It is concluded that militarism and war-making have contributed to the globalization and unequal distribution of environmental problems in the world-system.