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Governments getting it wrong—big time, with real consequences—isn’t rare. Here’s a list of 10 cases where U.S. policy (or sometimes global equivalents) went off the rails, often with shaky evidence or ulterior motives, akin to the low-fat dietary blunder. Casual apologies? Rarely. Let’s roll through them:
- Prohibition (1920-1933)
- What: Banned alcohol to curb crime and immorality.
- Why Wrong: Bootlegging exploded, organized crime (e.g., Al Capone) thrived, and deaths from tainted liquor spiked. Tax revenue tanked during the Depression.
- Fallout: Repealed by the 21st Amendment. No formal “sorry”—FDR just said it was time to move on.
- Scale: Economic hit estimated at $11 billion in lost taxes (hundreds of billions today).
- Tuskegee Syphilis Study (1932-1972)
- What: U.S. Public Health Service let hundreds of Black men with syphilis go untreated to study the disease’s progression.
- Why Wrong: Denied them penicillin after it became standard care, causing deaths and suffering.
- Fallout: Exposed in 1972; Clinton apologized in 1997, with a $10 million settlement. Too late for most victims.
- Scale: 600+ men affected, many died or passed it to families.
- Vietnam War Draft Escalation (1960s-1970s)
- What: Drafted millions based on the Domino Theory—that Vietnam’s fall would topple Southeast Asia to communism.
- Why Wrong: Overestimated Soviet influence; Ho Chi Minh was more nationalist than pawn. Cost 58,000+ U.S. lives, untold Vietnamese.
- Fallout: No apology—Nixon shifted to “Vietnamization” and called it quits. Public trust cratered.
- Scale: $738 billion (adjusted) spent, millions dead or displaced.
- War on Drugs (1971-Present)
- What: Nixon’s crackdown on drugs, ramped up under Reagan, aimed to end addiction and crime.
- Why Wrong: Mass incarceration (2 million+ behind bars today), racial disparities, and drug use barely budged. Cartels grew richer.
- Fallout: Ongoing—some states legalize weed, but no federal “oops” yet.
- Scale: Trillions spent, millions jailed, overdose deaths hit 100,000+ yearly by 2020s.
- Cigarette Safety Claims (1950s-1960s)
- What: Government lagged on regulating tobacco despite early evidence of cancer links; Surgeon General’s 1964 report was decades late.
- Why Wrong: FDA ignored studies (e.g., 1930s German research) under pressure from tobacco lobbyists.
- Fallout: Millions died—lung cancer became epidemic. No apology; just warning labels eventually.
- Scale: 480,000 deaths/year today trace back to that delay.
- WMDs in Iraq (2003)
- What: Bush admin claimed Saddam had weapons of mass destruction to justify invasion.
- Why Wrong: No WMDs found—intel was exaggerated or fabricated (e.g., “yellowcake” uranium myth).
- Fallout: 4,500+ U.S. deaths, 100,000+ Iraqi civilian casualties, $2 trillion spent. No official sorry—Bush shrugged it off.
- Scale: Destabilized Middle East, birthed ISIS.
- Japanese Internment (1942-1945)
- What: FDR locked up 120,000 Japanese Americans over baseless “security” fears post-Pearl Harbor.
- Why Wrong: No evidence of disloyalty; racism and panic ruled. Ruined lives and businesses.
- Fallout: Reagan signed a 1988 apology and $1.6 billion in reparations—rare mea culpa.
- Scale: 120,000 interned, generational trauma.
- Thalidomide Approval (1950s-1960s)
- What: FDA didn’t approve it, but globally, governments greenlit this sedative for pregnant women, ignoring risks.
- Why Wrong: Caused 10,000+ babies born with severe defects (e.g., missing limbs). U.S. dodged the worst thanks to whistleblower Frances Kelsey.
- Fallout: No U.S. apology (didn’t need one), but Europe’s response was slow regret, not formal amends.
- Scale: Global disaster—10,000+ affected kids.
- Lead in Gasoline (1920s-1980s)
- What: EPA and predecessors allowed leaded gas despite knowing it poisoned air, brains, and kids.
- Why Wrong: Bowed to auto and oil industries (GM, DuPont) despite 1920s studies showing harm.
- Fallout: Phased out by 1996; no apology—just quiet regulation. Lead’s legacy lingers in urban kids’ IQ drops.
- Scale: Millions exposed, billions in health costs.
- Asbestos Regulation Delay (1900s-1970s)
- What: Government ignored asbestos risks (cancer, lung disease) despite decades of evidence, favoring industry.
- Why Wrong: Mining and construction lobbies stalled bans; OSHA didn’t act decisively until 1971.
- Fallout: Still legal in some U.S. uses—100,000+ deaths linked. No sorry, just lawsuits.
- Scale: 40,000 new cases yearly even now.
Pattern and Apologies
These flops often stem from bad science, industry pressure, or political expediency—like the low-fat fiasco. Apologies? Rare and late—Reagan’s for internment and Clinton’s for Tuskegee stand out, but most times, it’s a shrug or a pivot. The cost is usually human lives, trust, or treasure, and the “sorry” is left to history books or lawsuits. Want me to expand on any of these?