Editor's note: Maitreya Bhakal is an Indian commentator who writes about China, India, the U.S. and global issues. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

U.S. leaders love holding countries "accountable" for their crimes – real or imagined. Many white-majority nations feel they have a White Man's Burden to police non-white countries for doing things they don't like - which are then repackaged as "human rights violations."

Yet, in many cases, countries that accuse others of alleged crimes are often far bigger criminals themselves. Particularly in America's case, the crimes are so evil that such finger-pointing sounds as much like psychological projection as chest thumping.

America vs. civilization

At first glance, the news seemed unbelievable – for a civilized nation. Yet, if it could happen anywhere, it would be in the U.S. On March 29, police in the crime-infested town of Chicago detected a gun shot with their ShotSpotter detector – a useful piece of technology that detects gunfire and conveys its location, which Western media would label "dystopian" if police in China used it.

Upon arriving at the spot, a policeman found a 13-year-old child at the scene and cornered him in an alleyway. Police bodycam video shows that as soon as the child turned around to face the policeman with his hands up in the air, the policeman shot and killed him. While the police claim that the child was holding a gun when he was shot, video appears to show him unarmed.

Police violence is common in America; for many, the only difference between cops and criminals is the former's stereotypical affection for donuts. Few were surprised at this particular killing as well. What surprised many though, was the victim's age.

While adults are frequently killed by U.S. police forces with impunity or light punishment, killings of children are less common. This murder represents a new low – even for the generally trigger-happy U.S. police. 

Black and white

Police usually target people of color, killing Black people in particular in a much higher proportion (as a percentage of their population) than white, the race of most police officers. This is an extension of an earlier era that the regime would prefer that people forget – where white property – and slave-owners hired armed gangs to suppress slave revolts. The structural racism of law enforcement today is essentially descended from these death squads (known as "slave patrols"). Targeting Black people and others of color is instinctive and Pavlovian – it's part of police DNA in America.

This extends to children too. While far less in number than adults, even child victims of U.S. state violence follow racial lines. The slain 13-year-old belonged to the Mexican diaspora. A study found that Black children were six times more likely to be killed by police than white ones, and Hispanic children three times more likely.

Political power flows from the barrel of a…Taser?

Another unbelievable incident (but again, unsurprising for America) demonstrates just how trigger-happy U.S. police are. Earlier this month, a police officer shot and killed an unarmed Black man in a targeted killing in Minnesota. According to the officer (a veteran of 26 years), she intended to use a Taser but fired her gun by mistake, like a video game player who forgets to switch weapons before firing.

The country erupted in protests. The regime responded with a brutal crackdown. State forces deployed tear gas and flash-bang grenades against peaceful unarmed protestors.

Kimberly Potter, the murderous police officer, was white and killed an unarmed Black man – and was charged with only second-degree manslaughter but not third-degree murder. Activists compared this case to a similar 2017 incident in the same state when Mohamed Noor, a Somali-American Muslim police officer, was instead charged with intentional third-degree murder and sentenced to 12 and a half years in jail – for killing a white woman.

Not child's play

International pressure has so far not worked to reduce police brutality, having as little effect as protests at home. Few expect America to improve. The regime killed another child in Maryland barely two weeks after the Chicago shooting.

Yet, America has seen a few changes over the years. It no longer drops atom bombs on its enemies. Public lynchings have dwindled. Chattel slavery has been largely dismantled and its remnant moved to a system of concentration camps known as "prisons."

Still, old habits die hard. Shaking off what is so deeply ingrained in one's culture can be difficult. A barbaric, murderous streak runs through Western civilization – often manifesting itself in numerous genocides and wars. If only America spent less time killing its own people and making its police and courts more compassionate, perhaps its claims to hold other countries "accountable" would sound a lot less opportunistic and deceitful.

(If you want to contribute and have specific expertise, please contact us at opinions@cgtn.com.)