Have you noticed that a factual error appearing in respected printed form tends to be copied by other researchers in the same field, until, inevitably, it competes with the truth for credibility?  The writers who perpetuate these mistakes rarely do so from evil motive: They have no axe to grind, they simply do not have time to check and double-check each fact, so they rely on the scholarship of their predecessors. The Statesman, New Delhi India, published in 1993, with the headline “When History Is Based on Errors.”

On the other hand, fake news is written and published due to lazy reporting or with the intent to mislead in order to damage an agency, entity, or person, and/or gain financially or politically, often using sensationalist, dishonest, or outright fabricated headlines to increase readership. Publishing a story with false content that attracts users benefits advertisers and improves ratings.  

It is nearly impossible to get the facts to arrive at the truth.  “We choose truth over facts” to quote Joe Biden.  

Just the title of an article online “is Roundup the new Agent Orange?” (by Christina Morales Jan 12, 2018, Periscope Group) equates the two.  The article concludes: It destroys foliage, causes long term environmental damage and poses a health risk to those who are exposed to it. While Roundup’s consequences may be more subtle, it apparently shares the same dangerous aftermath as Agent Orange… so what do you think?

In a conversation the other night the statement was made “Roundup is Agent Orange.”  Is that a fact?

Who do you believe?  

Wikipedia is the “Britannica Encyclopedia” of the internet and a great reference.  How accurate is it?  Questionably when it has in small print, “needs third party validation.”

I am no expert but Roundup is a killer if you drink it so don’t.  Roundup usage as recommended by Monsanto (manufacturer) probably does not cause cancer (EPA and several other agencies), however, the International Agency for Research on Cancer states “is probably carcinogenic to humans.”  Lots of countries have banned Roundup and there are lots of suits in the US claiming it is a health hazard.  What are the facts that resolve the truth and is it Agent Orange?

The herbicide Agent Orange was used as a defoliant in Viet Nam and probably caused health problems for the military personnel who came in contact with it during operations.  Dioxin, the resultant chemical active ingredient of Agent Orange, is not the same as Glyphosate that is the active ingredient in Roundup.  So no, Roundup is not the same as Agent Orange.   

Probably!  Is there a resolution of the facts to assure that Roundup is (or isn’t) safe?  

Who do you believe?