The greatest harm experienced as a consequence of the TMI incident was the mental angst engendered by overblown, semi-hysterical press accounts.
I disagree... The "mental angst" contributed to a defective national energy policy which caused our children to be sent overseas to police the Middle East oil supply... If this had not happened, Saddam Hussein would still be in power, Fallujah would not be flying the Al-Qeada flag, and Iran would never consider having a nuclear program of any sort.