The Pros And Cons Of Bioterrorism

The use of biological agents in bioterrorism is a topic that generates strong reactions and many opinions. While the use of these agents is not new, the increasing level of use in wartime situations is becoming more of a reality. Because biological agents can be relatively cheap to manufacture and can be easily hidden until time to use, they have become a real threat to our world. It is important to understand the history of this form of warfare and identify the most widely used agents so that measures can be taken to find ways to counteract their effects. Some feel germ warfare is a superior form of combat, while others think the use of bioterrorism is inhumane and should not be considered. After weighing both sides of the pros and cons
A single gram of biological agent can kill millions of released properly. It is also more efficient to use than chemical or nuclear weapons due to the low cost of producing such agents and the readily available material to be able to grow and produce such agents. The last pro is that in a case of war, the use of agents can end a war very quickly. Some cons against the use of agents are the unpredictable nature of the agents. It is used to kill many people in a short period of time which can be argued to be very inhumane. Also because of its unpredictable nature it is very difficult to contain agents once they are released into society. If the use of agents were to be legal in army, navy etc. bases, it has been reported of troops using it on own troops which creates nothing but problems for everyone. Another con for the use of agents is that once released the agents can live for long periods of time (some more than fifty years in the soil) and that produces more unwanted effects, such as loss of livestock lives, ans loss of plant life. The last con is that it is never one hundred percent effective, when armies disperse agents they are never in the clear. They are also at risk of becoming infected and possibly losing their lives along with enemy lives. The ethical stance taken by the writer is that they are against the use of biological agents in bio terrorism, but if in a war situation and a biochemical agent is used on America, the writer believes it is ethical to use a biochemical agent in retaliation. The writer believes the government should continue to try and makes the bio weapons more containable and more predictable before being used in combat situations, and so that the loss of innocent lives decreases by a substantial amount. Ultimately the