Dirty From Top To Bottom | SERPICO (1973) | Movie Reaction 

It's sad that someone who is so nice has to face such trouble for doing the right thing.

If nothing changes even after reporting these "bad cops", then the "good cops" would rather turn a blind eye than risk their lives.

Henry, a few years ago there were major USA social-justice examinations. Back in 2020, George Floyd was killed by one policeman while others stood around and watch. This brought on riots and a lot of attention, and guilty verdicts for not just the murdering policeman but for at least 3 'watcher' observer police who did not. This probably happened a lot of times before but still does. We have RU-vid video channels that base their revenue off of such killings/murders. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_George_Floyd And before that, there was the riot-laden Rodney King case with long-time petty criminal Rodney led LA police on a wild high-speed chase, only to be beaten severely when they caught him. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rodney_King In both cases, there were plenty of police-as-witnesses who stood and watched. I believe the George Floyd case has resulted in the most convictions among those 'observers'.

I agree with your assessment - his only 'reward'.

When I made my first driving trek across the USA, we frequently stopped state troopers because they were good ambassadors of their region - they drove the roads, they knew the hidden treasures of their region - prettiest spots, best eateries, nicest campgrounds or motels. Once we met one at a supper joint, after his shift had ended and he talked about bribes and bribe-taking. "It's dangerous - if I took a $500 bribe for a $100 ticket, why offer me that much? How much more could I get paid in a bribe? And if I took $10 or $50, why bother? That person could be setting me up for a $10 bribe or $10,000 bribe - I'd still be risking jail. So how much should I demand - enough to let me retire? $2-3 million on a $100 speeding ticket? Yeah... riiiiight." He pointed out the KGB Effect: "If you're an ordinary citizen and a KGB agent approaches you, do you report his bribes or crimes? And if you DON'T, what if HE reports YOU for NOT reporting that? 'Comrade was willing to let me commit crimes against the State, therefore Comrade must be guilty himself-!' That's the KGB Effect." I was always impressed with this logic. But in a Big City with so many veins of corruption everywhere... well, IF we 'fixed the homes' and 'no druggies ever used again, no drug money flowed, no gambling, sin-money, etc, THEN we might have a perfect world. Then we have excuses where leaders are con-men and criminals, and always have been. What then?

I'll be adding a few of those movies you mentioned 👍😉 That's an interesting chat you had with the state trooper. It's a fact, once you take a bribe, you're risking jail. If anyone ever finds out, that is. But if you do it once, there's always a chance you'll do it again. I feel that "gambling" and "drug" isn't evil. It's when people abuse it or excessively use it, then it becomes something bad.

@@henryellow The Brit merchants were stymied with their access to all of China in the 1600s but paid the Emperor enough to access Canton (the giant southern port). But England produced almost nothing that China wanted - not wool, not textiles - nothing light enough to cart around the world (wood, metal). All China wanted from England was gold and silver. But England had limited supplies of those, so it was a 'no-go' most of the time. THen the English brought opium into the coastal ports, and 'infected' tens of thousands of port workers and coastal dwellers with opium. THey were useless as workers. The Brits basically said, "If you won't let Chinese work for us, we won't let them work for you. We'll leave them helpless, worthless addicts." This went on for decades and into the 1700s, the Emperor relented and said, "OK, you can do trade in Canton, but no nothern port, and NO OPIUM." These became a series of trade agreements known as the "Unfair Trade Agreements." But China had EVERYTHING England (and Europe) wanted. Textiles, dishes, pottery, wood, spices. England thru India started larger tea productiojn IN China, too - and this was a weapon against India. "See? We now have China to supply us with tea and spices - don't increase prices on US!" So, Drugs aren't so benign, especially when Controllers or Dealers can inflct so much harm on population masses. All the beheadings and mass slalughters in Mexico and Central America are directly tied to US buying their 'kind and gentle' marijuana by the kajillions of dollars. If North Americans would stop THAT, kajillions of southern neighbor citizens might live.

@@henryellow Bribery over traffic tickets is not how the graft works. The ticket quota is where they get the money. A percentage of it is cycled back into the department. Where there is zero accountability. Also, they can literally just take your money. If you have more than 400 in cash, they can seize it. If you want it back, you have to go to trial and prove it was not drug money. (how can you prove a negative in front of a judge that is profiting from it?) They prey on out-of-state traffic because who wants to travel hundreds or thousands of miles to go back to sue the county for a 1000 dollars? "I feel that "gambling" and "drug" isn't evil. It's when people abuse it or excessively use it, then it becomes something bad." Truer words seldom spoken. But there is more money in prohibition. The whole "war on drugs" is a lie. It is a "war on people." And drugs are the biggest money maker in the legal system. I will give an example. I live near a relatively small town. Population is about 15k. The way it works is they arrest some poor slob with some weed. The judge tells him he has a choice. Go to prison or pay 2000 dollars with a "voluntary contribution to the anti-drug fund." The money goes into the fund. There is no oversight on the money. No receipts. No accountability. Nothing. In one summer alone, the town near me brought in 6 million dollars in "voluntary contributions to the anti-drug fund." And the cops and the judge are all living well beyond their means. I cannot tell you how many homes and cars and been seized and sold and no accountability. Closet thing to a good cop is one that doesn't take the money but they still turn a blind eye. Serpico was a true hero. And sadly, an anomaly.