A linguistic irritant

"Whatsoever" is one of my least favorite words.  Consider these two sentences:

• This is having no effect.
• This is having no effect whatsoever.

"Whatsoever" isn't needed in the second sentence.  The first sentence's meaning is clear.  When does "whatsoever" ever add value or clarity to a statement?

I can imagine a character in a movie, TV drama, or play using it but only to sound overly fussy or melodramatic.  Even then, however, "whatsoever" is best left unsaid.

Tackling the big issues of the day...That's what I do here.