SUPER PREDATOR

 

SUPER PREDATOR

 

In my novella, Energy & Origin, I explain how all lifeforms are the incidental product of energy.  Energy and momentum are the primordial forces behind everything in the universe and planet Earth offered all the necessary ingredients for life to start and all life adheres to an evolutionary design that will favor one species over another through design, opportunity and circumstance.  Opportunity and circumstance are crucial in determining a positive outcome for a species to give it a distinct advantage.  I also stated in Energy & Origin that for one species to eventually emerge superior was probably inevitable.  Humanity as a species has emerged as the ultimate super predator.  We need to add the caveat ‘for now’ to that equation as the role of super predator is not without challenges or risks as energy and momentum do not favor a status quo or a respite.  As super predators our predatory impact on resources and other species has been spectacular and disastrous.  A level of unpredictability has emerged that will challenge our superior position and advantage.

The dictionary offers this description of the word predator: one that preys, destroys and devours.  There is nothing nice or redeeming in the image provoked by that word super predator.  Created by energy, all lifeforms require a constant source of energy of various origins and substances to sustain themselves.  I don’t attach the moniker super predator to our species without misgiving, sorrow and regret.  Super predators are never kind to other lifeforms as they will take what they need without giving it a second thought.  Super predators face little or no opposition and the only species they need to fear are their own kind.  We’re not unlike Tyrannosaurs Rex, portrayed as a super predator when dinosaurs roamed this part of the world and is depicted as an absolutely ferocious animal.  Speculation of course because there are no real eye-witness accounts or records left behind.  Paleontologists are surmising, something intrinsic to all professions looking into the past.

There is no denying our current role as super predators as we’re living it every day and within our own species there is plenty of evidence of a particular group or segment always ready to take advantage of those of our kind deemed either weak or inferior.  Predators by design are not nice, kind or considerate.  There is a dichotomy within our species that turns a deliberate blind eye to the very essence that propels us forward, deliberately ignoring the impact of energy and momentum, a force that is utterly relentless and without compassion or mercy.  Our so-called superior intelligence only distracts and confuses, as all around us our super predatory predilections come shining through in flying colors.  The meek and mild amongst us are mere incidentals in the game.  Minor game pieces.

The truly super predator loves to be adored by millions.  They make a lot of promises      and  Adolf Hitler promised to make Germany great again.  He killed anyone who              opposed him.  He started a World War, more than 55 million people died and hundreds of millions lost everything.

Following in the super predator foot steps, Trump too loves to be adored by millions.  He has made a lot of promises, to make America great again.  He has already started, getting rid of thousands of people he doesn't like, thousands of people he hates.  And . . . he has only just begun!

Human history is a continuation of predatory behaviors that showcase how bad we can be.  At our worst we do the worst.  Our bloodlust knows no boundaries, our savagery no limits and the treatment of our fellow human beings can only be described as atrocious.  From genocide to ethnic cleansing, mass murder and rape, to brutally enslaving people and laying waste to entire cities and lands.  The fact that we are capable of acting differently, with kindness and compassion, produce works of art and culture that will lift us up from everything that degrades humanity, is not enough of a cause for celebration.  The essence of our impact, brutality and ignorance stares us in the face day after day.

I will illustrate my concerns with a few examples most of us are familiar with.  The ongoing conflict in the Middle East between Israel and the Palestinian enclaves of Gaza and the West Bank is a prime example of predatory behavior.  Israel is using its superior power to beat the Palestinians into submission.  Now, with U.S. support, they are even talking about forced deportations.  Not a single Arab state is in a position to come to the aid of the Palestinians and many don’t even want to.  The Palestinians have been written off, casualties of the times we live in and we can draw a parallel to the nearly quarter of a million homeless people in Canada.  If our so-called humanity were to set us apart from pure animalistic behavior there would be a huge outcry and we would do whatever in our power to put a roof over their heads.  That picture would interfere with the profits raked in by property owners who have seen their investments steadily increase in value.  Our kindness only comes shining through when it suits us, when it is easy and doable and when it doesn’t detract from our own comfort levels.

Human history is rife with incidents of genocide and ethnic cleansing and most of these conflicts lack any kind of evidence that those killed or forcefully removed were an actual threat.  The Armenians didn’t pose a threat within the Turkish Empire.  Neither did the Kurds or the Rohingya.  Just to name two examples.  For your own benefit, google genocide or ethnic cleansing and the frequency, numbers and the data will blow your mind.  Get into the details and it will give credence to my doubts and concerns pertaining to all things human and our self-professed humanity.

 "The Armenian death march.  Their crime!  They were Armenian!

All conflicts are rooted in self-induced tribal insecurity and paranoia; reactionary threats against something that could ‘possibly’ have an impact on the future and prosperity of a particular tribe or nation.  The levels of discomfort only increase when a disproportionate amount of “airtime” raises the intensity of a looming conflict.  Positions are taken and exaggerated.  We are giving in to fear and paranoia based on potential scenarios that may or may not emerge and we quickly turn these scenarios into reality by “creating” evidence.  The recent spate of retaliatory tariff threats between the U.S. and nations such as Canada, Mexico and China are a prime example of conflict escalation without any real foundation.  The U.S. with Trump at the helm has switched into a pure predator mode.  Predatory behavior can also be rooted in desperation, a predator making up for lost ground, real or imagined.  Super predators don’t behave according to a predictable blueprint or plan.  If they lash out, they lash out because they believe they can, and, can get away with it.  And that is what makes predators unpredictable and dangerous.

The truly dangerous predators only make up a small part of the human population and they count on crowd morality to take advantage of their position and strength.

We are conditioned to behave, to follow and not to question. We are no different than a herd of buffalo.  A few lead and the rest follows.  Ninety percent of the human population behaves according to expectation.  Most of us are moral and ethical creatures.  We don’t kill or engage in violent acts.  Quite often we are reluctant participants or spectators.  Only a small percentage willingly engages in acts of extreme violence and intimidation.  The mass casualties in Gaza are not from person to person combat, but hail from indiscriminate bombings and remote killing.  Super predators will attempt to impose their will and power on anyone and anything by whatever means.

T-Rex’s only opposition came from its own kind, fighting over mates, territory and food.  We’re no different as the forces of evolution have turned us into the latest super predators to roam the planet.  Access to superior sources of energy provides a species with superior odds to advance.  Energy is not just food or fossil fuels, it can entail technological superiority, geopolitical advantages, an organizational structure that is superior, military prowess and superiority.  Literally anything that can give a predator a distinct advantage.  It neatly explains why most of us don’t hesitate to follow the “leader”.

When an entire nation supports predatory behavior the outcome can be extremely lucrative; slavery, colonialism, economic blackmail, tariffs, blockades.  None of them are nice and are definitely not viewed as an asset showcasing our so-called humanity.  As a writer, a student of philosophy, history and the humanities, I dread using the word.  Soft pedaling human behavior, past and present, is something we resort to over and over again, whereas an honest and unbiased evaluation of our actions, or lack of, might serve us better in the long run.  We’re not exactly solution oriented or driven by unselfish behaviors that would be a credit as to what ‘humanity’ should stand for.

Unfortunately there are moments in our history when certain predators emerge, like Trump, that bite off more than they can chew.  Impatient and wanting it all in one, swift, bite.  The bully, bulldozing, over-the-top, tactics may initially seem to work but in the long run they only create a lot of distraction, irritation and resentment.  The most successful predators are those who are content to remain within the boundaries of their own territory, or who only take advantage of those weak enough to offer little or no resistance.

"Warsaw, 1943.  The Nazis bombed and burned down the Jewish ghetto.  Why?  Because they could and they got away with it."

"Fast forward to 2025 and the Palestinian enclave of Gaza is being bombed into oblivion by Israel with heavy duty bombs supplied by the United States.  Tens of thousands of innocent people have died and millions have lost everything.  Why?  Because Israel can and hopes to get away with it."

This is how a super predator behaves!

You may rightfully suspect that I am not enamored with the behavior of our species, no matter whether you consider yourself to be at the low end of the predator spectrum or the high end.  None of us are exempt.  Whether you lead or follow, in the end it makes no difference at all.  I wrote Energy & Origin to explain that we are the product of evolutionary forces over which we have no control.  We are driven by energy and momentum and it supersedes anything and everything we can bring to bear in counteracting the impact.  I am neither a pessimist nor an optimist.  I am a realist.  I don’t believe in sugarcoating our species and that what we’ve been up to is the product of divine design.  Or that a divine destination is in the cards, here on Earth or elsewhere!

I don’t think we’re progressing in a more benign direction or that we will shed our predatory nature for a more innocent version, one inclined to share, protect and preserve.  As a writer I observe and comment and I don’t relish reporting on negativity or expressing concerns.  Millions of species inhabit our planet, past and present, and out of those millions only one species behaves differently than all other species.  And that will be us!  We’re not a good fit.  Our impact has been disastrous and continues unabated and there is no sign of a let up.  A truly, intelligent, divine species would treat the planet and all other lifeforms with respect, care and wisdom.  The super predator that we have turned into hails from a cosmic experiment over which we have no control.  When I was younger and filled with idealism—let’s face it, that is the domain of the young and innocent—I fostered a secret hope that humanity would turn a more positive page.  Instead we excel at creating one mess after the other, the bad out-trumping the good by a country mile.  I felt compelled to put in that last pun! 

Super predators take, destroy and devour.

Energy & Origin by W.M.A. Bes is available on Amazon.ca