Serpico is the poster child for what was taught as a university course, long ago, anyway, called Deviance In Organizations. The idea is that any given organization, after approximately 20 years, will have drifted away from its original mission. Usually it drifts so far away from the stated mission that it has become in fact, the opposite of itself. I have seen enough of police corruption to know that the words "To Protect and Serve", are no longer the truth of police departments. It has become more like "Tase The Bitch!" So, the deviant, is one who joins the organization, and strives to return to the original principles or mission: To Protect and Serve."
Thus he swims against the tide.
It is a strange dreamlike thing: Where to do the right thing is wrong; and to do the wrong thing is right. At least that is the way it seems in this Through The Looking Glass Wonderland of corrupted values. It is rather like Christ throwing a tantrum among the corrupt Pharisees. And they hated him for it. Even though he was right.
In todays terms, we have the Wall Street Banksters, who are utterly unable to admit their corruption; and/or their absolute responsibility, through their recklessness, as well as a certain amount of genuine avarice and malevolence, in causing the economic disaster throughout the USA. There isn't really anyone among the Wall Street people who is trying to do the right thing. I assume that is because if you work on Wall Street it is because you are afflicted with the deadly sin of Greed. And there is nobody willing to blow the whistle. Well, not unless you count William K. Black, the Economics Professor. He accuses Wall Street Banksters of stealing money outright from the Taxpayers. And they would have got away with it if Obama had not insisted they pay the money back.
Although there is that wonderful guy whofor 20 years was an insurance executive. Wendell Potter is his name! He has been telling the truth about the insurance companies and they do not exactly love him for it. So, there he is, the deviant in that corrupt insurance organization.
