Groupthink in the Bush administration's decision to invade Iraq

Groupthink Team

Groupthink

Unfortunately, groupthink can cause the individual can often not retain their ability to think critically within a group setting. The research shows that groupthink occurs when "members of a group (or the entire group itself) begin to make faulty decisions due to the presumed pressures that result in collaboration" within a group setting (Woodward & Edwards 2010). Under the high influence and pressure of the group, many individuals may make decisions they would have otherwise avoided on their own. There are a number of examples of groupthink within current society and life that can attest to the negative power of the psychological power the group wields over the individual.

Example

The United States created a new precedent when then President Bush declared war on the nation of Iraq, when the country had not taken blatant obvious military action against the U.S. prior to the decision. Before this action, the United States had a long standing policy of not striking unless stricken.

Known as the Monroe Doctrine, the United States could not declare war without first been having been a victim first. Yet, the Bush agency pushed for a declaration of war against Iraq without an attack taking place against the United States.

This is an example of groupthink because members of the Bush agency were able to manipulate the possibility of Iraq having nuclear weapons without exact evidence. Those who spoke out against assumptions that Sadam Hussein was a direct danger tended to be ostracized in Congress.

Many government officials were pressured into agreeing with the decision despite a lack of support from many crucial countries within the international community.

Thus, "the decision to rush war in Iraq before broad-based coalition of allies could be built has placed the U.S. In an inevitable military situation in Iraq that is costly in terms of military deaths, casualties, diplomatic standing in the world, and economically" (PsySR 2011). Groupthink pushed the decision forward, despite the lack of evidence and support from the majority of friendly international allies.

Example 3

Finally, there is the example of groupthink that unfortunately helped cause the death of hundreds of thousands of people across Europe. No one country can be labeled as evil, and as such it is clear that not all German citizens during World War II would have supported the horrid actions of the Nazi regime if it was not in part of the influence of groupthink.

It is clear that "there are several symptoms of groupthink: illusion of invulnerability, belief in group's own morality, shared stereotypes, collective rationalization, self-censorship, illusion of unanimity, and mind guards," all were experienced by the German people during the Nazi regime (Ricara 2012).

Many within Germany believed Hitler's hype that Germany could not be defeated and would emerge as the primary power in a new world order. This belief then led them to commit atrocities they would otherwise be ashamed of.

With the influence and support of the group, many German citizens compromised their own morals in favor of the group's ideals. Many on their own would have not condoned the atrocities that occurred, but within the comfort of the group supported Hitler's political ideas.

This led to the death of millions of Jewish individuals across Europe. These citizens would otherwise not have condoned blatant murder, but the fervor of the groupthink provided by Nazi propaganda made them forgo their conscious and better critical judgment.