About those " few bad apples"

[tulipsandroses]

From the comment section on The Root

It’s weird how often phrases that criticize aspects of American society get turned right around and are used uncritically to uphold those very same aspects of society.

The phrase “a few bad apples” is literally shorthand for “a few bad apples spoils a bunch”, as in, failing to remove a small bit of rot at the earliest opportunity will result in the spread of that rot through the system. Which is both true, and the exact opposite of what pretty much anyone who uses the term “a few bad apples” means.

[malaise]

1. Profound

Rec

[Caliman73]

2. Exactly.

Unfortunately, that is the way the "system" protects itself. Whereas we people of color represent our entire ethnic and racial group when we mess up, ("It's because Mexicans are lazy...."; "It's because Blacks are violent"; etc...) but when there are White people who do something, or police, or some other power structure, "It's only a few..."; "It was a lone wolf"; etc...)

The few "bad apples" already spoiled the bunch. The "bunch" was spoiled a long time ago. The bunch spoils the apples which in turn, spoil the bunch over generations....

[unblock]

3. "i could care less" means i care a little or a lot, but not zero, because there's room to care less.

the intended expression is "i couldn't care less", which means i don't care at all, it's not possible to care less.


eta: not meaning to go off on a tangent, i just like liguistic stuff like this

"self-defense", or "defense" in general is an interesting term. a sword is an attacking weapons, a shield is defense.

guns are supposedly used in "self-defense". of course, it's pretty much never used as true "defense". counter-attack, preemptive attack, deterring attack by showing effective means of counter-attack, all that is possible. but actual "defense", not really.

it's especially galling when police use the term after putting themselves into a scene, vastly more dangerously armed than the "attackers". it's not "self-defense" to tase someone or pepper spray them or hit them with rubber bullets after the chant or sing or even if they throw water at you. putting aside the question of if it's appropriate, the term "defense" or "self-defense" is really off.