Bad Apples and the Bad Apple Picking Machine

Whenever somebody does something wrong, the easiest thing to say is that, sure, there are a few bad apples.  I am reading Allan English's book right now about the failures of the Canadian Armed Forces to change, and it pushed me to write this, something I have been thinking about for awhile.

Where do bad apples come from?  Is it just the random input that a few get in?  Kind of hard to argue when the bad apples is referring to those at the very top of the military after years of "vetting" and promotions.  

But let's take the analogy seriously.  Bad apples can happen because:

1. just bad luck
2. the apple picking machine is broken
3. the apple picking machine is working in a bad orchard
4. the apple storage/treatment/processing facility makes them rotten.   

I have been thinking lately of #3 as the demise of twitter has also been on my mind.  Sure, it is run by the world's richest Nazi, but governments and other organizations can't seem to quit it.  This summer, when pushed, a government official said that they use twitter for recruiting.  And that was the most horrifying thing I heard.  Because who is on twitter now?  Bots (some silenced thanks to our Ukrainian friends), Nazis, and those who are comfortable hanging out in a Nazi bar.  So, if one uses twitter as a platform for recruiting, it is more likely these days that some of those recruited will be far right assholes than if one looked elsewhere for recruits.  It is just a math thing at this point.

I will say that while most of the blame is usually focused on bad luck, the CAF and similar orgs will think about recruiting--that far right people are eager to serve to learn skills they can use in the race war they are hoping to make happen.  So, except for the US Secretary of Defense, Nazi tattoos can be disqualifying.  The one that seems to be overlooked the most is #4--that there is something about the organization that radicalizes people.  We know that prison can do that, but I'd like for the various militaries to think seriously that maybe some folks enter their organizations and then become radicalized.  

Anyhow, this weekend of awesome apple pie and apple crisp (we cut up too many apples for just one deep dish pie recipe) has had me thinking of picking and processing my fave fruit.  Enjoy this apple season--go to the right orchards and be choosy and then take care of them when you get home.  Bad apples do a lot of damage so let's be careful out there.