I don't know, seeing "willful intent" in something like Covid leads down that "God is punishing us for our sins" road. Have you read the Stephan King novella "The Fog"?

Going down that road usually ends badly.

I think it's about willful stupidity. We created a world where a highly infectious virus could spread to billions very quickly. From historical incidents we knew this was a real risk.

And yet we took only the barest minimum of precautions. Building "pandemic resistance" into the social fabric of our world was something we should have been doing for decades.

We didn't because it costs money and eats up time. That was a choice we made. Or made, by not making.

We need to completely reimagine how our societies will be structured. We need to grow up as a race and start thinking in planetary terms.

Sorry for the rant on your casual comment. It's late and I cannot sleep.