US Federal Agent in Chicago Proves 'Bad Apples' Are Everywhere
News breaks from Al Jazeera about a US Border Patrol agent repeatedly punching a restrained man's head in Chicago. Local police are 'investigating' a violent escalation caught on video. This conveniently allows mainstream outlets to frame it as an unfortunate anomaly, a rogue officer in one instance, rather than a systemic issue. It’s the same old tune we hear when military aggression goes 'too
far'—a few 'bad apples' always spoiling the barrel, never the barrel itself. We saw this deflection after the Abu Ghraib photos, after countless drone strike 'errors,' and when footage of Sabra and Shatila made it impossible to ignore the carnage. The pattern is clear: outrageous acts are always the fault of individuals, never the doctrine or training that empowers them. One might wonder if the
unchecked power of federal agencies, historically wielded with impunity at the border, simply found a new internal frontier in Chicago. The 'investigation' will likely find 'lessons learned,' but never dismantle the infrastructure that enables such brutalities.