Predator and Prey

By Sidney Owitz

Carnivorous animals are more humane than humans. They only kill in order to eat. Humans also kill animals to eat, but very often they kill for fun and pleasure, and for the trophy. They like to display in their living rooms the head of a deer that they have shot, or they sell for profit the horns of a rhinoceros for its supposed sexual advantages, or the skin of a tiger to be used as a floor mat. The defenseless beast has been shot out in the open, with the most up-to-date sophisticated weapon while the shooter is hiding safely behind a large rock, and imagining himself as a hero. He is proud of his cowardly attack in putting to death an innocent and unprotected animal, who is probably more moral than its assassin. Unfortunately, some people treat their fellow humans in the same way.

Present-day human predators have enslaved their brethren, entrapped them in a caste system, stolen their land, invaded their countries, conquered and colonized their people, and killed them. The predator is constantly on the war path.

In these pages we will discuss man’s inhumanity to man.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jun 30, 2023
• ISBN: 9798823011167

Sidney Owitz

Sidney Owitz was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, where he was educated. He graduated as a physician at the University of Cape Town. After practicing Medicine in South Africa for twelve years he came to the United States and became an anesthesiologist. He lives in Florida with his family.

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© 2023 Sidney Owitz. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse  06/30/2023

ISBN: 979-8-8230-1115-0 (sc)

ISBN: 979-8-8230-1116-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2023912070

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CONTENTS

Dedication

Predator And Prey

Torture

People Kill People

Modern-Day Slavery

History Repeats Itself

Mistakes That Altered History

Lies

Internecine Wars

Colonialism And Racism

Strong Men

DEDICATION

To my dear wife, Joan, and children, Stephanie,

Valerie, David, Darron. Carole, Jeff and Robin

Man’s inhumanity to man

Makes countless thousands mourn!

Robert Burns (1759 – 1796)

PREDATOR AND PREY

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I n days of old, wild carnivores were roaming the earth and smelling out their prey while flesh-eating birds hovered up above waiting for the sight of a weak or dying creature to help satisfy their hunger. Often, the lives of humans, too, were at stake, especially if the predator was very hungry and the human was exhausted and ill. Our own human ancestors, too, were aggressive, and roaming about the planet. They, too, needed to eat, and required to protect themselves and their families from these wild beasts. There were tough and rough humans carrying clubs or other simply constructed weapons who would instantly attack and kill a dangerous looking bird or animal – or even you, if you seemed to have an untrustworthy appearance.

Before Homo Sapiens there was Neanderthal man, who was of a more primitive species. There was some mixing of the two forms of Man. Fortunately, since the passing of Neanderthal man, humans have become calmer, and are less likely to attack each other. Humans are still mostly carnivorous, but they do not usually eat each other.

In a sense, carnivorous animals are more humane than humans. They only kill to eat. Humans kill animals, but not only to eat. Very often they kill for fun and pleasure, and what they call sport. They also kill for the trophy. They like to display in their living rooms the head of a deer that they have shot, or they sell for profit the horns of a rhinoceros for its supposed sexual advantages, or the skin of a tiger to be used as a floor mat. These humans are so proud of being great sportsmen for having killed an innocent animal at rest and minding its own business. This animal was not being hunted because it was a danger. It is being hunted because it has a beautiful coat, or has gorgeous horns, or is large and appears strong. They have shot this defenseless beast out in the open air, with the most up-to-date sophisticated weapon while hiding safely and cowardly behind a large rock, and imagining themselves as heroes. They are so proud of their ability in putting to death innocent, unprotected beasts, who have probably displayed more morality than their assassins. These animals and birds are constructed with an anatomy, and function with a physiology no less intricate than that of the human predator.

In similar vein, present-day human predators have been preying upon their fellow humans in many different ways. They have killed their brethren, they have enslaved them and entrapped them into a caste system. They have inflicted torture upon them and robbed them. They have stolen their land, invaded their countries, conquered and colonized their people. The weak, the poor, the women and children, the intoxicated and the drug addicts are the most vulnerable and hence, the first to be attacked, as are those with low self-esteem and mental disability. The predator is on the war path.

In the following pages we will discuss man’s inhumanity to man.

TORTURE

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T orture is a form of punishment meted out by civilized people who have decided that the victim, also a civilized person, requires to be punished. It is another example of man’s inhumanity to his fellow man. It is an infliction of severe pain and fear upon a person in order to punish or intimidate him, to receive information or a confession or promise from him. The punishment may be delivered via beatings with clubs or some other instrument, electric shock, rape, or water immersion. There are numerous forms of punishment that have been discovered by those who do the punishing. Torture, too, could be induced by means of threats of impending death, sleep deprivation, solitary confinement or by use of other psychological methods. Taking the law into your own hands is illegal, and may be punished by fines or imprisonment or by death, in cases where the perpetrator has caused death.

In the United States, in the 1890s, Congress passed the 8th Amendment, which forbade torture. Every year, on June 26th, there is an international anniversary to remember the horror of torture. Most countries do not believe in torture, but, on the other hand, most countries practice torture despite having signed the convention against it. There is an obvious disconnect between policy and practice. Amnesty International says that over 140 countries still practice torture.

Torment suggests persecution, but torture tells of pain and suffering. There are many varieties of torture administration, sometimes depending on the country involved. People have had their heads repeatedly slammed against the wall, others have suffered from multiple anal penetrations, and still others, have had their bodies placed in stressful positions for prolonged periods of time. Water-boarding is frequently a choice that is made for torture. A wet cloth is placed over the mouth and nose, and water is poured over the cloth, giving the subject the feeling of not being able to breathe and a sensation of drowning. In China, ling chi is used - this is a slow process of numerous cuts made all over the body.

There are people who, having been tortured, blame themselves for having required torture. They say that they must be sinners who deserved the punishment which was meted out to them. This is similar to the Stockholm Syndrome, where one gets friendly, and understands and sympathizes with his jailer.

The after-effects of torture may include headaches, hearing loss and tinnitus, visual problems, shaking, sleep disorders, anxiety, nervousness and irritability. A high percentage of those who have been tortured suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

In most instances, torture is not sponsored by the government, even though they may turn their eyes away from the occurrences. However, in Saudi Arabia torture is a systematic practice carried out in many institutions under the auspices of the monarch, King Salman and the Crown Prince, Mohammed Bin Salman (known as MBS). Any time spent in a Saudi jail is enough to affect the unfortunate individual for the rest of his life – if he still has any life left! Torture may occur during all phases of a person’s interrogation and trial. And it frequently also occurs even after judgement has been rendered at the trial. The torture in Saudi Arabia is recognized by world bodies as being disproportionately violent and severe.

Some prisoners are forced to sign confessions of guilt after daily torture has been inflicted upon them for two weeks. This confession will be used against them at the trial, and could possibly be used as a cause for their execution. At times, the family of the prisoner is intimidated by the authorities. Large scale raids with the police carrying heavy weapons, but without legal warrants, have occurred upon family homes, and when the raiding party is unsure of who the criminal is, the whole family, including women, are arrested. The health, age or sex of captives is usually disregarded.

In most instances, judges do not place any credence on the fact when they are told that confessions were made under the duress of many days of torture. Some have been told that if you desire a re-interrogation, you will have to be re-arrested and then we will have a new trial, whereupon the man is re-tortured and made to confess again and finally re-sentenced.

Jamal Ahmed Khashoggi was a writer and dissident journalist in Saudi Arabia. He also worked for the Washington Post. He had made some uncomplimentary remarks about the Saudi King and MBS, and was thus exiled from Saudi Arabia. Sometime later he and his new Turkish fiancée went to Istanbul in order to get some papers from the Saudi consulate regarding his previous divorce, as he intended marrying his fiancée. His fiancée waited outside the consular building while he went inside. He never came out of the consulate office. He was assassinated inside by members of the Saudi consulate staff. You will never know the truth as to what actually occurred. There are different versions. Some say that there was a struggle and a fatal dose of drugs was injected into his arm. Others say that he was killed, dismembered and his body parts were disposed of. Another example of Saudi torture and death without a trial!

Myanmar has had a violent history since it received independent rule from Great Britain after World War II. During the last few years, it has been ruled by a military junta. The rule was authoritarian, but after some years, they finally permitted a general election that was won by Aung San Suu Kyi. She ruled for a while until the military junta threw her out, placed her on house arrest, and continued with their violent tactics. They have killed at least 2,000 people in a short period of time, and arrested about fifteen thousand. Detainees in prisons and interrogation centers have been tortured, while many thousands of them have been forced to sign confessions when arrested, even without a warrant of arrest. Legal counsel for assistance to the detainees has been prevented, and family visits are disallowed. The law is disregarded, while ill treatment and torture remains the rule. Aside from death sentences and executions there are also death sentences when the so-called criminal is in absentia.

Use of tasers, head banging and insertion of the head into buckets of water frequently occur. We could just kill you; we don’t have to waste time taking care of you the detainees are often told. Their diets are sparse, as are their fluid intakes. Valuable items, such as jewelry are stolen from them. If anyone is ever able to get out of jail, their broken bones, scars and visible injuries will be obvious to the passers-by. Psychological torture is always present alongside the physical brutality.

Psychological torture consists of isolation, sleep and food deprivation, sensory assault, such as loud music or bright lights for long periods, blind-folding, humiliation and forced nudity. Long term effects of torture consist of frightening memories with flash-backs, nightmares and Post Traumatic Stress Disorders.

These acts of torture are considered to be crimes against humanity. In China, there has been torture of the Uyghurs, which has been going on for many years. They are an Islamic people who came to China almost a thousand years ago from Mongolia. The Chinese say that they are re-educating the Uyghurs through labor camps, but they are doing it through beatings with shackles, electric shocks and being kicked into unconsciousness. Egypt, under General Sisi, displays a culture of brutality. Prisoners are often held without a charge. They are chained and blindfolded for days on end. In Indonesia, detainees suspected of being supporters of an armed separatist movement, undergo severe forms of torture. Iran has tortured political foes by placing them in tiny cells until they respond by forced confession. Access to legal counsel is denied. Similarly, Iraq denies legal counselling and makes use of forced confessions. Nigeria, North Korea and Pakistan are involved in torture of its detainees. Kazakhstan is also in the forefront of violent acts of torture.

The Russian handling of the Chechnyan uprisings is another story that is not so pleasant. The Chechnyan people live mostly in southern Russia, and are members of the Islamic faith. The Chechens and Russia have been involved