[stefan_]

The same software that wants to use namespaces for isolation will refuse to run as root.

[immibis]

Not true. Docker, for example. There's plenty of cases where you set up an isolation environment as root and then use it as non-root.

[holowoodman]

Yes, but actually no: usually setting up those namespaces is done through a privileged daemon or suid-root binaries. Both of those are prone to root exploits, which isn't as bad as a kernel exploit, but only a 'modprobe' away. Group membership in the 'docker' group is famous for being root-equivalent.

It isn't impossible to do things right, but in practice, things are usually done badly.