I knew a Vietnamese guy in college that was on one of the last helicopters out. He had lost of strange stories as a child. I recall for fun they used to catch rats, toss some gasoline on them, light them and then chase them. Yeah, I know they are rats - but still barbaric.
2021 Headline: “Mysterious Feline Flu erupts in Vietnam.”
Kids in the US do similarly barbaric things with toads and frogs and firecrackers.
When I was a kid I saw the older neighbor’s boys do that with toads they had found in our basement window well. I told my brothers I saw them peeking in my sister’s window [it was technically true since the toads were from her window well] and they went over to do an attitude adjustment - it worked, the neighbors’ kids never stole a toad again. ;-)
That kind of barbarism has to be taught. And it IS. Children see it from the day they are born.
Cruelty to animals is a first step. The level of cruelty worsens as children grow. I saw somewhere some young men torturing a kitten. They finally BOOTED it away. I hope it died quickly. They were all laughing.
This attitude is worldwide through every country, race, faith and culture. Learning begins at the home.