The most devastating use of biological warfare agents happened during World War II, when the Japanese Imperial Army unleashed plague, cholera, typhoid, and other diseases against Chinese civilians, killing an estimated 300,000 (“The Biological Weapons Threat”). In the movie, V for Vendetta, England is set during in a dystopian future where a totalitarian government has been established. The film stars Hugo Weaving, who plays a freedom fighter named V, and Natalie Portman, who plays Evey, a young woman who gets herself intertwined in V’s operation. With Evey’s help, V tries to start a rebellion against the government through various acts of terrorism. Leading the mission to take down V is Eric Finch, played by Stephen Rea. During one scene in
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Eventually, Finch learns that the director of the program, High Chancellor Adam Sutler, created a disease called the St. Mary’s Virus in order to gain a lead in the upcoming election. As a result, the deaths of many civilians and the ensuing fear among the people caused Sutler to win the election. While the movie shows the use of biological weapons as a way to gain political power, this type of warfare has been used throughout history in a variety of ways. Like how the movie uses the St. Mary’s Virus, biological warfare also involves the use of deadly agents like anthrax, smallpox and botulinum for offensive purposes. Even though V for Vendetta is based on a fictional tale, the movie is able to draw comparisons on how deadly agents have been used in biological warfare …show more content…
Early civilizations were able to find innovative ways to bioweapons despite of having modern technology. The use of toxic latched weapons, infecting natural resources and food with dead corpses, and contaminating blankets with diseases are some of the ways bioweapons were used during ancient times. As time passed, people discovered more advanced and innovative ways to use bioweapons, which included creation of bacterial, viral, and toxic bioweapons. Anthrax, the most well-known bacterial bioweapon, was used during the 2001 anthrax letter attacks. The anthrax used was made into an inhalable powder which was then placed in the mail envelopes of government officials and new agencies. The St. Mary’s Virus in V for Vendetta and the 2001 anthrax attacks were similar in how people reacted to them because they struck fear among civilians. Smallpox, caused by the variola virus, was used by the Soviet Union so that could have an advantage during war. Despite signing The Biological Weapons Convention treaty, a law put in place to stop the manufacturing of bioweapons, they persisted in the use of smallpox as a bioweapon. Their continued involvement in the smallpox bioweapons program eventually caused an outbreak which sickened ten people, killing three of them. Adam Sutler’s and the Soviet Union’s use of bioweapons compared to one
Eventually, Finch learns that the director of the program, High Chancellor Adam Sutler, created a disease called the St. Mary’s Virus in order to gain a lead in the upcoming election. As a result, the deaths of many civilians and the ensuing fear among the people caused Sutler to win the election. While the movie shows the use of biological weapons as a way to gain political power, this type of warfare has been used throughout history in a variety of ways. Like how the movie uses the St. Mary’s Virus, biological warfare also involves the use of deadly agents like anthrax, smallpox and botulinum for offensive purposes. Even though V for Vendetta is based on a fictional tale, the movie is able to draw comparisons on how deadly agents have been used in biological warfare …show more content…
Early civilizations were able to find innovative ways to bioweapons despite of having modern technology. The use of toxic latched weapons, infecting natural resources and food with dead corpses, and contaminating blankets with diseases are some of the ways bioweapons were used during ancient times. As time passed, people discovered more advanced and innovative ways to use bioweapons, which included creation of bacterial, viral, and toxic bioweapons. Anthrax, the most well-known bacterial bioweapon, was used during the 2001 anthrax letter attacks. The anthrax used was made into an inhalable powder which was then placed in the mail envelopes of government officials and new agencies. The St. Mary’s Virus in V for Vendetta and the 2001 anthrax attacks were similar in how people reacted to them because they struck fear among civilians. Smallpox, caused by the variola virus, was used by the Soviet Union so that could have an advantage during war. Despite signing The Biological Weapons Convention treaty, a law put in place to stop the manufacturing of bioweapons, they persisted in the use of smallpox as a bioweapon. Their continued involvement in the smallpox bioweapons program eventually caused an outbreak which sickened ten people, killing three of them. Adam Sutler’s and the Soviet Union’s use of bioweapons compared to one