Behind the Bastards Part One: How Tainted Human Blood Became A Major U.S. Export
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Mar 25, 2025 Ben Bolin, a knowledgeable host behind podcasts like Stuff They Don't Want You To Know, joins the conversation about the controversial blood plasma donation program in Arkansas prisons under Governor Clinton. They delve into the ethical dilemmas of exploiting marginalized communities and the dark history of tainted blood in the U.S. From humorous anecdotes about early blood transfusion trials to the grim realities of inmate exploitation, this discussion shines a light on the troubling intersections of healthcare and ethics.
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Blood Donation
- An elderly Australian man with a rare blood factor donated blood for decades, saving 2.5 million babies.
- Donating blood is beneficial; however, blood as a commodity has problematic aspects.
Blood Industry
- Blood and blood products are the ninth largest US export, exceeding coal.
- The US provides 70% of the world's blood plasma used in medicine, a large and problematic industry.
Early Transfusions
- The first blood transfusion attempt was in 1628 by an English physician, but it failed.
- Early medical science often used animal blood, like lamb's blood, in transfusions with mixed results.