Discussed at the time: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10861273.

Not discussed in the 2016 threads was how the community supported DuPont despite clear evidence it was poisoning those farmers or their cattle.

That group behavior reminds me of stories I've heard from a friend who has close relatives that lived in Stasi-era German Democratic Republic. Everyone was scared of their neighbors because everyone was a snitch.

It also reminds me of Mark Twain's "The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg". To surmise that people are generally good is wrong, for "The weakest of all weak things is a virtue not tested in the fire."

This is typical. Company does something dangerous, makes $X in profit. Pays 1% of $X in fines or legal. Certain politicians call for tort reform. Then the company does it again.