System Examples

Countrywide does nothing to help the Parkinson’s patient because he is not part of their system. Their system is set up to earn money for the employees of Countrywide Loans, not to take care of their customers. The customers may think they are part of the system, but really it is a corporation whose ultimate goal is to make money. They were not receiving money from Lin, so they cut ties with him even at his expense. Being outside of their system, I would say that they should show mercy for the misunderstanding. They could have been more diligent in getting Lin the information since they knew he spoke limited English based on the letter they sent him. Even if they are unable to get him back his own house, they should get him one at the equal price or provide housing for him until the whole matter is sorted out. I see this issue differently from Countrywide because I am outside of the system and have no personal interest at risk. I don’t need to weigh what I need against what is moral.
The Stanford prison experiment is an example of how absolute power corrupts absolutely. The students playing the prisoners had no power at all over their lives, while the prison guards had complete control over them. The inmates ended up being abused and became depressed because the guards were abusing their powers. The guards saw a system set up in which they could benefit without any risk, and they took full advantage of that. This shows that a system set up where an elite group has all the power, they will use it for self-interests rather than the common good.
The Brower Youth Award recipient that I read about is Carlos Moreno. His goal is to combat youth violence in the city of Boston. His theory is that by creating more youth jobs and programs, people will have an outlet to escape the violence and they will feel more a part of the community, thus in turn wanting to improve it themselves. He accomplishes this goal with the creation of an organization that protests, communicates their wants to city officials, and donates money for the cause. I think Carlos is so successful in working outside the system because he has a passion for his goal. Doing all those things requires a leader who is willing to sacrifice much of their own time and interests, so the leader must truly believe in the goal. He also must believe that this problem can be changed, or else he would have given up a long time ago.