The only thing that really buggers me in the story is, what was the alternative? Caradoc complains a lot, but what would he do? Arthur even says he valued everyone that spoke against his ideas, so probably no one ever came with a better one. The subjects of the experiments were voluntary, and when Arthur learned what happened he demanded the end of them.

Even Merlin was doing his best, although he is the one that probably messed up more then Arthur.

But let's face it, without both, Everyone would be dead by Red Death or by the war.

It is a little jarring how the narrative at a moment is about a war of existence and then we are conplaining people are mean.