It was pretty clear that the author of the original article was advocating for an "elimination" agenda. The list of accidents was certainly scary enough -- quite a few jaw-dropping whiskey tango foxtrots in there.

A couple of perspectives are perhaps worth considering.

First, realpolitik: the thinking is, if the other major rival power has it, you need to have it. That's madness, but it's mutually assured madness. The hope is, I suppose, to keep rogues and zealots from going too far. Politics and poker.

Second, and most important, the real realpolitik: bacteria, viruses, and phytoplankton really run this planet's habitable zones. Plants and insects are the next level of overlords. We humans, for all our bluster, are just along for the ride (or are expedient chauffeurs that move our uber-bosses to new territories, which include other autonomous biological systems, ecosystems, and possibly planets). And there isn't a dam_ thing we can do about it. Though keeping a few of history's worst offenders available for study might give us an edge when the overlords come up with something new, which they certainly will.