Scott talks to Sam Hussini about the sudden popularity of the coronavirus “lab leak” theory. For about a year straight, Husseini reminds us, anyone discussing the possibility that the coronavirus originated in a lab—even credentialed scientists—were ridiculed in the media and kicked off internet platforms for promoting conspiracy theories. Now, it’s suddenly acceptable to propose that this might have been the real origin of the global pandemic of the last year. But for those who have been paying attention, says Husseini, this controversy is nothing new: governments have been conducting “gain of function” research on deadly viruses for decades, and leaks are more common than people think. Husseini considers the danger to humanity from these pathogens comparable to the dangers from nuclear weapons.

Discussed on the show:

• “Questioning the CDC: Is it a Complete Coincidence That China’s Only BSL4 Is in Wuhan?” (Sam Husseini)
• “Averting Our Gaze from Biowarfare: Pandemics and Self-fulfilling Prophecies” (Organic Consumers)
• “Sam Husseni: Contrary to claims, the pandemic may have come from a lab — and regardless, it exposes the threat of biowarfare arms race” (Washington Babylon)
• “Statement in support of the scientists, public health professionals, and medical professionals of China combatting COVID-19” (The Lancet)
• “Opinion | An Engineered Doomsday” (The New York Times)
• “A SARS-like cluster of circulating bat coronaviruses shows potential for human emergence” (Nature Medicine)
• Anthrax Vaccine Blog
• Chaos Under Heaven: Trump, Xi, and the Battle for the Twenty-First Century
  
• “#1640 – Josh Rogin – The Joe Rogan Experience” (Spotify)
• “The Lab-Leak Theory: Inside the Fight to Uncover COVID-19’s Origins” (Vanity Fair)
• “Wormwood (TV Mini Series 2017)” (IMDb)
• 9/11 Commission Report
• “Why the Covid-19 ‘Lab Leak Theory’ Needs Another Look” (Medium)
• “Intelligence on Sick Staff at Wuhan Lab Fuels Debate on Covid-19 Origin” (WSJ)

Sam Husseini is a writer and political activist. He is the communications director of the Institute for Public Accuracy and formerly worked at the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee and at the media watch group Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. Follow him on Twitter @samhusseini.

This episode of the Scott Horton Show is sponsored by: The War State, by Mike Swanson; Tom Woods’ Liberty Classroom; ExpandDesigns.com/Scott; Photo IQ; Green Mill Supercritical; Zippix Toothpicks; and Listen and Think Audio.

Shop Libertarian Institute merch or donate to the show through Patreon, PayPal or Bitcoin: 1DZBZNJrxUhQhEzgDh7k8JXHXRjYu5tZiG.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Preti Taneja discusses her report for the Minority Rights Group International, “Assimilation, Exodus, Eradication: Iraq’s minority communities since 2003” [.pdf]: the plight of ethnic and religious minorities in post-invasion Iraq.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download