In the U.S. we have this game we play. Some major violation of our fundamental values occurs and instead of blaming the system or society at large, we blame the Bad Apple.
In the case of Abu Ghraib, we blamed a few bad apples — even though it was obvious then and even more obvious now that bad apples were simply following orders. But God forbid that we ever point any blame at the system. Even President Obama now has made it his policy that any information that may reveal extreme government abuse be kept secret lest it damage our national image.
Take the most recent and obvious example: Bernard Madoff. This one Bad Apple gets a 150 year prison sentence and we are expected to believe and accept that he acted alone in a vacuum, regardless of the fact that he ran a sizable operation. He even maintained office space in the building where I work in Madrid. Earlier this year, 60 Minutes ran “The Man Who Figured Out Madoff’s Scheme” about how Harry Markopolos discovered Madoff’s fraud within five minutes of looking at the numbers. Between 2000 and 2008, Markopolos on five separate occasions sent detailed materials to the SEC revealing Madoff’s fraud. Of course, the SEC did absolutely nothing. Nevertheless, the moral of the story is that Madoff gets his punishment — 150 years for being the Bad Apple.
Sigh relief. Once again, the rest of society is off the hook.
Grave Error 
On one side it sells more papers, on the other gives a false sense of relieve to those who get the news… another economical/political win win without the need to uncover the truth
Exactly. It is the story of expediency.
UPDATE: Just read that 10 more people will be charged in relation to the Madoff scheme. Still, just bad applitos.
“Ask, and ye shall receive.”
This man begged for it, and he got it …
Where are the Feds and Chairman Maobama the Socialist Pig with the reparations for these victims?
OH …. my bad, they earned the money they lost, so they’ll just have to eat it … The good Chairman probably will discern that they had it coming for refusing to be poor and accepting their lot as government wards.