In 1944, my grandfather was serving aboard the USS Sealion (SS-315) when it became the first and only Allied submarine to sink an enemy battleship. The operation inadvertently imperilled more than 1,000 British and Australian prisoners of war. My grandfather helped rescue 54 of them, and won honours for doing so. But hundreds of others died, which haunted him. As he wrote in his diary: “Man’s inhumanity to man and yet they will give us medals for this. Doesn’t that beat all?” My grandfather believed he had witnessed the darkest side of humanity. But he died in 1994, before the internet took off.
The online abyss, with its proliferation of the repugnant, the vile and the downright perverse, makes the vast oceans my grandfather navigated appear almost quaint. Still, he grasped what would prove to be an essential truth of the internet: inhumanity is overlooked in the distribution of awards. In our digital era, attention goes to the most shocking, the most outrageous, the most hurtful.
Like many disaffected young men, I spent a phase of my life drawn to the grimmest corners of the internet, frequenting shock sites such as Ogrish. I would stay up late into the night, the glow of my screen illuminating images of brutal violence, the aftermath of bombings and scenes of torture — much of it related to the various global conflicts occurring in the early 2000s. This was, perhaps, a misguided attempt to understand the depths of human suffering. But does the internet merely reflect our inherent depravity, or does it make it more extreme?
I recently spoke to Monica Garnsey, the executive producer of a harrowing BBC documentary which some of her colleagues described as among the worst assignments of their careers. These were veteran reporters who had seen the horrors of war zones, yet the subject they were uniquely disturbed by was an online underbelly: a monkey-torturing ring. What bothered them was that, unlike soldiers, or even individuals with abhorrent sexual desires, many who revelled in these gruesome videos displayed an unsettling lack of guilt. These videos showed innocent animals subjected to unspeakable cruelty at the viewer’s request, with other individuals who sought out the clips admitting they also took pleasure in it; for some, it was just a way of “passing the time”. They spoke of it as an intriguing hobby, a release valve for pent-up anger, or even, in some twisted cases, as entertainment. One of the primary sadists recalled stumbling upon a torture video and “chuckling to myself”.
Though much of the actual torture was taking place in Indonesia, the videos were mostly being watched by people in America. Propping up this twisted subculture are “torture-media influencers” — individuals who monetise the abuse of stars like Mini, a monkey whose popularity made her too valuable to kill, despite the complaints of torture aficionados who had grown weary of her starring role. (“Mini is so over,” some would post.)
The business model of these “torture-media influencers” was sickeningly straightforward, selling videos on a pay-per-view basis. But the internet doesn’t actually make it easy to make money; the financial gain was relatively minor. After expenses, even the top purveyors were earning only a few hundred dollars through private sales of more explicit films. There are plenty of easier ways to make that amount of money. These influencers must derive some satisfaction from their work.
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SubscribeI can’t stand this kind of stuff. Viewing it for whatever reason pollutes the soul.
Just knowing it exists turns the stomach.
I feel the same way. The way the author keeps bringing his grandfather into the story is bothersome, though. The man risked his life serving his country in its efforts to rescue civilization and found the collateral damage from acts of war hard to take, as any reasonably decent human being would. Why does he keep showing up in a story about sadists and people who enjoy watching sadism?
Quite. It’s as if the author couldn’t write the article without having some personal anecdote to relate it to.
Added to that the Allied Submarines sank far more than one battleship during WW2
Besides the ‘Kongo’ what others?
ps: “The Hun” did MUCH better sinking both HMS Royal Oak and HMS Barham.
Besides the ‘Kongo’ what others?
ps: “The Hun” did MUCH better sinking both HMS Royal Oak and HMS Barham.
Quite. It’s as if the author couldn’t write the article without having some personal anecdote to relate it to.
Added to that the Allied Submarines sank far more than one battleship during WW2
I feel the same way. The way the author keeps bringing his grandfather into the story is bothersome, though. The man risked his life serving his country in its efforts to rescue civilization and found the collateral damage from acts of war hard to take, as any reasonably decent human being would. Why does he keep showing up in a story about sadists and people who enjoy watching sadism?
Horrid stuff. This article needs interviews with relevant law enforcement officials asking (i) do they know about these heinous crimes; and (ii) what exactly are they doing about it; and (iii) the reporters will write follow-on stories to check in on their progress in eradicating this vileness.
Just knowing it exists turns the stomach.
Horrid stuff. This article needs interviews with relevant law enforcement officials asking (i) do they know about these heinous crimes; and (ii) what exactly are they doing about it; and (iii) the reporters will write follow-on stories to check in on their progress in eradicating this vileness.
I can’t stand this kind of stuff. Viewing it for whatever reason pollutes the soul.
I feel polluted just skimming the article. I wish you’d never brought such depravity to my attention.
Agree.
To this article’s author, Oliver Bateman, and to his editors:
Please locate the relevant domestic and international law enforcement officials and ask them: (i) do they know about these heinous crimes; and (ii) what exactly are they doing about it; and (iii) advise them that the Unherd reporters will write follow-on stories to check in on law enforcement’s progress in eradicating this vileness.
How can it hope to be stopped if decent people don’t know about it?
Agree.
To this article’s author, Oliver Bateman, and to his editors:
Please locate the relevant domestic and international law enforcement officials and ask them: (i) do they know about these heinous crimes; and (ii) what exactly are they doing about it; and (iii) advise them that the Unherd reporters will write follow-on stories to check in on law enforcement’s progress in eradicating this vileness.
How can it hope to be stopped if decent people don’t know about it?
I feel polluted just skimming the article. I wish you’d never brought such depravity to my attention.
I find it helps me to think that there is literally nothing – not one single thought or intention – that we can “get away with”. This belief is sometimes supported by a sort of vague but powerful intuition, and sometimes by a blind faith which makes me feel a bit silly. But overall, I think it’s helpful.
My initial thought is that torturers of animals deserve everything they get. Cue retribution fantasies. But even this falls foul of the principle described above. I won’t get away with wishing harm upon people.
The same applies to the ISIS beheading videos which were everywhere a few years ago. (My 13 year old son saw one before I did…) I looked, I looked away, and now I don’t go back.
Just walk away from evil. Hold your mind back from all its forms, unless you are lucky enough to be one of natures successful vigilantes and you actually have the social position and testicular fortitude to put things right. What’s done is done, and let’s try not to do the bad stuff any more.
I find it helps me to think that there is literally nothing – not one single thought or intention – that we can “get away with”. This belief is sometimes supported by a sort of vague but powerful intuition, and sometimes by a blind faith which makes me feel a bit silly. But overall, I think it’s helpful.
My initial thought is that torturers of animals deserve everything they get. Cue retribution fantasies. But even this falls foul of the principle described above. I won’t get away with wishing harm upon people.
The same applies to the ISIS beheading videos which were everywhere a few years ago. (My 13 year old son saw one before I did…) I looked, I looked away, and now I don’t go back.
Just walk away from evil. Hold your mind back from all its forms, unless you are lucky enough to be one of natures successful vigilantes and you actually have the social position and testicular fortitude to put things right. What’s done is done, and let’s try not to do the bad stuff any more.
Not sure who this is aimed at and to what purpose. I was a happier person not knowing about this!
The purpose is to EXPOSE the filth who are viewing and arranging these videos. The main purpose of these exposes is to bring the perpetrators to justice and STOP the torture. I for one think the BBC have done a good job for a change.
The BBC also did good work a few years ago exposing ‘ ‘Crufts’ and the disgraceful world of ‘dog breeding’*
(* In fact horrific inbreeding!)
The BBC also did good work a few years ago exposing ‘ ‘Crufts’ and the disgraceful world of ‘dog breeding’*
(* In fact horrific inbreeding!)
The purpose is to EXPOSE the filth who are viewing and arranging these videos. The main purpose of these exposes is to bring the perpetrators to justice and STOP the torture. I for one think the BBC have done a good job for a change.
Not sure who this is aimed at and to what purpose. I was a happier person not knowing about this!
Whenever I hear of the torture of primates I think of Dr. Nathan Kline who posted his walls with pictures of suffering animals. Dr. Kline sponsored Wade Davis ethnobotinist trip to Haiti described in The Serpent and the Rainbow. Kline apparently enjoyed the abuse of his experimental subjects – like the man who experimented on separation anxiety in baby monkeys. (Harry Harlow?) People like Nathan Kline and Harry Harlow may be the dregs of humanity, but they disguise their evil with degrees and garner accolades from others. This torture is not unlike the pathological abuse of women online: threats of rape, murder, skinning alive, spreading lies to employers, family and friends has driven many women to suicide. They do it because they enjoy it because they’re depraved.
Whenever I hear of the torture of primates I think of Dr. Nathan Kline who posted his walls with pictures of suffering animals. Dr. Kline sponsored Wade Davis ethnobotinist trip to Haiti described in The Serpent and the Rainbow. Kline apparently enjoyed the abuse of his experimental subjects – like the man who experimented on separation anxiety in baby monkeys. (Harry Harlow?) People like Nathan Kline and Harry Harlow may be the dregs of humanity, but they disguise their evil with degrees and garner accolades from others. This torture is not unlike the pathological abuse of women online: threats of rape, murder, skinning alive, spreading lies to employers, family and friends has driven many women to suicide. They do it because they enjoy it because they’re depraved.
The most disturbing crime docs I have ever seen is Netflix’s Don’t f**k With Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer, which was basically a bunch of internet sleuths tracking a guy who posts videos of himself torturing kittens. The fact that he then escalates to murder is a bit beside the point because the extraordinary thing is how the internet sleuths hunt down this twisted sicko. TBH in the end it’s hard to know what is more terrifying: the obsessive man-hunt for the perp or the perp. If you’ve got this far into the article’s comments, it’s worth a watch.
Hello Ann:
I watched the doc that you refer to and would like to echo your misgivings about what is more terrifying, the perp or the sleuths. Various degrees of dysfunctionality abound.
Was that trans man Luca Magnotti?
Perhaps that is what is required?
Hello Ann:
I watched the doc that you refer to and would like to echo your misgivings about what is more terrifying, the perp or the sleuths. Various degrees of dysfunctionality abound.
Was that trans man Luca Magnotti?
Perhaps that is what is required?
The most disturbing crime docs I have ever seen is Netflix’s Don’t f**k With Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer, which was basically a bunch of internet sleuths tracking a guy who posts videos of himself torturing kittens. The fact that he then escalates to murder is a bit beside the point because the extraordinary thing is how the internet sleuths hunt down this twisted sicko. TBH in the end it’s hard to know what is more terrifying: the obsessive man-hunt for the perp or the perp. If you’ve got this far into the article’s comments, it’s worth a watch.
Vile monsters in human form (no longer human beings) abusing others in horrific ways are sadly a feature of human history from the earliest records. So often its simply just because they can and the Internet facilitates this.
Vile monsters in human form (no longer human beings) abusing others in horrific ways are sadly a feature of human history from the earliest records. So often its simply just because they can and the Internet facilitates this.
I can’t even read the article beyond the first few lines.
I can’t even read the article beyond the first few lines.
Punish those engaged in such monstrous activities and make them give something back to society – utilise them as subjects for vivisection and medical research, instead of the animals. And to those who disagree with my suggestion – why not?
Danish Mink farming is/was no picnic, the Japanese consume ‘live’ frogs, the Chinese gobble up tons of dogs, so what can one really expect from a rather nasty species of African Ape*?
(*Made in God’s image, or so we are told!)
Danish Mink farming is/was no picnic, the Japanese consume ‘live’ frogs, the Chinese gobble up tons of dogs, so what can one really expect from a rather nasty species of African Ape*?
(*Made in God’s image, or so we are told!)
Inside the mind of? oh really? WHERE? I see no such examination in the article.
The author’s slobbering sanction of the revolting high-tech witch-hunt that was To Catch a Predator is pukesome. Until Glastonbury features Gary Glitter as headliner, in the name of recovering fullest legitimacy for the male, the people of the UK can say goodbye to any genuinely rebellious spirit for good.
Oh look, now you can play To Catch A Troll.
Inside the mind of? oh really? WHERE? I see no such examination in the article.
The author’s slobbering sanction of the revolting high-tech witch-hunt that was To Catch a Predator is pukesome. Until Glastonbury features Gary Glitter as headliner, in the name of recovering fullest legitimacy for the male, the people of the UK can say goodbye to any genuinely rebellious spirit for good.
Oh look, now you can play To Catch A Troll.
“How prog-guru John Podesta isn’t household name as world class underage sex slave cover-upperer defending unspeakable dregs escapes me.” @AndrewBreitbart, 04 Feb 2011
“Hi John, The realtor found a handkerchief (I think it has a map that seems pizza-related. Is it yours? They can send it if you want. I know you’re busy, so feel free not to respond if it’s not yours or you don’t want it.” E-mail sent to John Podesta, 02 Sep 2014
“How prog-guru John Podesta isn’t household name as world class underage sex slave cover-upperer defending unspeakable dregs escapes me.” @AndrewBreitbart, 04 Feb 2011
“Hi John, The realtor found a handkerchief (I think it has a map that seems pizza-related. Is it yours? They can send it if you want. I know you’re busy, so feel free not to respond if it’s not yours or you don’t want it.” E-mail sent to John Podesta, 02 Sep 2014