Yes, there is an arms race, an all-arms race of which bio is only a part. I reccomend the following two books, The Sheild of Achilles: War, Peace, and the Course of History, and The Shadow World: Inside the Global Arms Trade.
The revolution in technology has shifted the global array of national security threat models away from just the nation-state. The low barrier to entry to tech like the latest in bio or cyber research means now a single actor with no grouo or state affiliations is now capable of producing some destructive event on a national or even global scale.
On the backend, this is one of the quiet whispers in the halls of power in DC as a justification for the surveillance systems being enabled. You ask if there is an arms race. No, there are many arms races going on right now.
Just like nuclear, if its possible they will consider building it, potential side effects be damned, as long as we have some force multiplier the "enemy" doesn't.
The revolution in technology has shifted the global array of national security threat models away from just the nation-state. The low barrier to entry to tech like the latest in bio or cyber research means now a single actor with no grouo or state affiliations is now capable of producing some destructive event on a national or even global scale.
On the backend, this is one of the quiet whispers in the halls of power in DC as a justification for the surveillance systems being enabled. You ask if there is an arms race. No, there are many arms races going on right now.
Just like nuclear, if its possible they will consider building it, potential side effects be damned, as long as we have some force multiplier the "enemy" doesn't.