Invisible Threat

This article was published in The Mindful Word journal of engaged living (http://www.themindfulword.org)

When people think about terrorism, they normally think about bombs and guns, but terrorists can also attack citizens using more subtle means. Invisible Threat, a 2013 documentary film produced by Four Square Entertainment, outlines the growing phenomenon of biological warfare. This is a process by which attackers insert chemicals into food or the atmosphere, with the aim of poisoning citizens. According to Invisible Threat, germ warfare has existed for hundreds of years, but due to the advances in biotechnology which have occurred in recent decades, it has become more prevalent.

According to the film, all the world’s most powerful countries have attempted to develop biological weapons at some point. The film details the history of the experimentation, starting its coverage in the mid-20th century, and finishing at present. It touches on the significant developments in nations such as the United States, the former Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, Japan, and Iraq, and provides information about the Biological Weapons Convention. This convention occurred in hopes of stopping experimentation, but this was unable to be achieved.

Invisible Threat warns that it is individuals, not government research groups, that people need to be wary of when it comes to present-day germ warfare. In recent years, some individuals have already used biological weapons to aid them with committing crimes. With the existence of the Internet, it’s now easy for anyone to gain access to information about developments in biotechnology that would have, in the past, only been accessible to governments or people involved in the scientific research industry. In the United States, there are currently no mandatory restrictions regarding the dissemination of scientific information online.

Deciding what to do about the issue of biological weapons becomes a catch-22. Some people think any research in the area should be halted, which seems like a blockage of scientific progress. Others believe the research must go on, but the information gleaned from it must not be so widely available. The latter solution would allow a small group of people to control a large amount of information, which would limit the freedom of information granted to citizens in democratic countries. However, if the use of biological weapons keeps increasing, and the level of biotechnology used to develop them keeps advancing, biological warfare could become an immense international problem that may result in millions of deaths. The solution the film offers to avoid this is the continuation of teaching scientific ethics, so people working within the field are more likely to apply it to their practices and conduct themselves with goodwill. Currently, it seems there’s no better option. For the average person, since knowledge is often the best defense, it’s beneficial to watch films such as Invisible Threat to become aware of the biological dangers out there.

What do YOU think can be done about the problem of germ warfare?

Watch Invisible Threat here: 

image: AgriLife Today (Creative Commons BY-NC-ND) 

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