---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: We pretended there was no problem with…"
description: "\"We pretended there was no problem with Agent Orange after Vietnam and later the Pentagon recanted, after untold suffering by veterans.\" — Jim McDermott"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a54/jim-mcdermott-44933_after_we-pretended-there-was-no-problem-with-a_3224019.png"
---

#  We pretended there was no problem with Agent Orange after…

![“We pretended there was no problem with Agent Orange after Vietnam and later the Pentagon recanted, after untold suffering by veterans.” quote by Jim McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a54/jim-mcdermott-44933_after_we-pretended-there-was-no-problem-with-a_3224019.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a54/jim-mcdermott-44933_after_we-pretended-there-was-no-problem-with-a_3224019.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a54/jim-mcdermott-44933_after_we-pretended-there-was-no-problem-with-a_3224019.png)

> “We pretended there was no problem with Agent Orange after Vietnam and later the Pentagon recanted, after untold suffering by veterans.”

[Jim McDermott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-mcdermott/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Denial of Agent Orange’s harms allowed suffering; later acknowledgment came too late for many veterans.

**In simple terms:** Ignoring Agent Orange caused lasting pain.

Key Takeaway

Demand accountability for environmental harms.

Themes

environment health justice government

Mood

somber urgent

Type

advocacy historical

When to use this quote

- veteran care
- environmental regulation
- public awareness

Key Concepts

public health policy military ethics

Questions to Reflect On

- What responsibilities do governments have for wartime toxins?
- How can victims seek redress?

A Different Perspective

Political inertia can delay relief.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[After](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/after/) [Agent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agent/) [Agent orange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/agent-orange/) [Later](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/later/) [No problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/no-problem/) [Orange](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/orange/) [Pentagon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pentagon/) [Pentagon Recanted](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pentagon-recanted-6072006/) [Pretended](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pretended/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Recanted Untold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recanted-untold-6072009/) [Suffering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering/) [Suffering Veterans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/suffering-veterans-6072007/) [Untold](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/untold/) [Veterans](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/veterans/) [Vietnam](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vietnam/) [Vietnam Later](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vietnam-later-6072008/)

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