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In our globalized world, everyone suffers in a pandemic. This kind of attack would be as likely to devastate the attacker as their opponents, so there's really

In our globalized world, everyone suffers in a pandemic. This kind of attack would be as likely to devastate the attacker as their opponents, so there's really no motivation for a government to carry out attacks like this. It's another form of MAD deterrence. If it was possible to target people with specific genetics, it might be a slightly more realistic scenario. But considering that viruses regularly evolve enough to jump between species, it could still easily evolve to hurt the 'favored' population group as much as 'enemy' groups. On that note, if there's any silver lining at all to pandemics, they really do align the interests of all humans like no other threat/problem, save perhaps for some sci-fi scenarios like an impending asteroid impact or alien invasion. When it comes to viruses, we're all in the same boat.

capitainenemo 4y ago
But putting further stress on the countries opposing might help a cut-off Russia in the short term... I mean they already have virtually no travel across their borders, and what happens in next few months is probably of greater urgency to them than later.
- danenania 4y ago
  By the same token though, a renewed pandemic in Russia could push them to a political and economic breaking point at a time when they're already stretched thin and vulnerable. If they want to lash out, they have many other ways to do so that carry far lower risk of crippling blowback. Covid showed that even strict border controls aren't sufficient to keep viruses out if they're contagious enough. No borders are 100% secure, and it only takes a single person getting through to light the match.
lwhi 4y ago
In my nutty conspiracy, the agent would simply disseminate the virus at bath houses. The more I think about it, the more it does seem like a nutty conspiracy. I did watch twelve monkey's many years ago!

capitainenemo 4y ago

But putting further stress on the countries opposing might help a cut-off Russia in the short term... I mean they already have virtually no travel across their borders, and what happens in next few months is probably of greater urgency to them than later.

danenania 4y ago
By the same token though, a renewed pandemic in Russia could push them to a political and economic breaking point at a time when they're already stretched thin and vulnerable. If they want to lash out, they have many other ways to do so that carry far lower risk of crippling blowback. Covid showed that even strict border controls aren't sufficient to keep viruses out if they're contagious enough. No borders are 100% secure, and it only takes a single person getting through to light the match.

lwhi 4y ago

In my nutty conspiracy, the agent would simply disseminate the virus at bath houses. The more I think about it, the more it does seem like a nutty conspiracy. I did watch twelve monkey's many years ago!