The killing of civilians. Pilots are dangerous. Sullen negligence. Break. Choose what a chat group chat is worse for the Trump administration. List all scandals Almost like a challenge It also finds an explanation for them. But in his heart he sits familiar and dangerous risks, defective from political psychology: collective thinking.
In March, Trump administration officials, including Vice President JD Vance, sent Above the mobile phone chat application signal Their plans and the logical basis for the bombing of Yemen. they It included unintentionally editor Atlantic Ocean In this phone chat, and its participation The timing, details and targets of the bombing With him. Defense Secretary Higseth House He denied that the classified plans had been shared, however Atlantic Ocean The chat version, Proof is a mistake. Later Senate session He also confirmed that the leakage had occurred. Federal judge now Preservation From these records, which seems to be able to be part of the court that will maintain the scandal In the news.
Political Psychology of the decision of the cabinet members to bomb Yemen fits a familiar pattern. In the initial chat on March 11, Vance argued that the bombing was Inconsistent With Trump’s messages about allowing Europe to fight its wars. But those objections were Closed By Presidential Counselor Stephen Miller says, “As I heard that, the president was clear: the green light,” ends any discussion of foreign policy or looking at the objections. “I agree,” said Higseth. His next message came after a day of scheduling F-18s, “Strike Drones” and timing From the attacks.
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“First of all, this conversation should not happen by sign chat,” says Daniel Lopeton of Colgate University. The reputation of determination: How leaders refer to a decision in international politics, Civil military communications expert. “In political psychology, what we see here is often described as collective thinking,” says Lopeton. Description of the first psychologist Yale Irfing Janis In 1972, Collective thinking It leads to early decisions, often bad, driven by compatibility within groups where anyone feels that the dispute is impossible.
The most famous in 1961 Bay of the pig of the pigGroupthink led advisors to suppress the special doubts that may have been suspended Cuba failed to invade The Kennedy administration turned around. Similar mass dynamics were seen in cases of failure by presidential advisors in Watergate scandal In 1972, and The invasion of Iraq In 2003. Groupthink also explains the reason why Miller Recall Consiglieree Miller to make a decision and discussion in the chat scandal. The opposition is simply not allowed when Groupthink is running.
Collective thinking may also explain why no one thinks about asking about the cause of “JG”, the first letters of the Atlantic Ocean editor Jeffrey GoldbergThey were in their conversation. Or why the “Master” group – which usually bears war planning in “Sensitive information information facility“Where personal mobile phones Prohibited– violent Basic security rules by Chat about the details of the attack On their phones. This is despite many people in chatting, including VansHigseth and the director of the National Intelligence Tolsi GabbardThe presence of military backgrounds that would have included them Annual company TraininG. Pentagon was published this month consultative Against the use of a signal, mentioned NPR.
This White House sees this differently, as President Donald Trump claimed that the bombing plans were “”.Unknown“Calling complaints on the screw the sign chat“ The charming chase. ”(It is fair to say, this is it mistake: “It is amazing, even thinking about the argument that this will not be classified,” National Security lawyer Mark Zaid He said the mission and the purpose In response to the leakage. Done of drone warfare, not even battle plans, leaked to one defense analyst journalist 45 months in prison In 2021.)
A more modern grant confirmed the political psychology In working in the failure of collective thinking in the government, instead of personal psychology, as it explains the attraction of voters or avoiding political losses the dynamics of the group. Fit the discussion discussion, the most focused on it Political correspondence From the bombing of Yemen from its wisdom. “Let’s make sure that our messages are narrow here.” “These leaks, we look unresolved,” says Higseth, at another, to justify the decision.
Was a wise decision? The Trump team called it “Very successful“But it Unlikely The Yemeni Houthi militia will stop Function of rockets on ships in the Red Sea On the bombingJason Layal from Dartmouth, author of “Dartmouth”, author of a book. Divided armies: inequality and performance of the battlefield in the modern war. The United States only The bombing of Yemen more Since the sign chat attacks. “These strikes serve a very little purpose, unlike the indication that the administration” does something “; it is mostly theater, and a distinction of motor work on the targeted diplomacy that may solve the problem.”
Confident Lopeton, the international researcher for international policy, added is the deeper psychological question that plays in the signal chat scandal. “It is really fragile.” It may take only one event to really wear, “she says. On the confidence front, the sign chat that was issued by European allies in the United States must be removed, as it is filled with attacks on their timed and capabilities. “I hate to save Europe again,” says Vans at some point. “I completely share your hatred in the European Harrani download,” says Higseth, “it is a few minutes later.
This language He explains why Europe Plan now to Military self -sufficiency Within five years, American efforts have been undermined since the end of World War II To prevent militarization there. The United States heads a famous global organization for the participation of “Five Eyes” to participate in the intelligence in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, it is unclear why these countries will share any intelligence with a country that calls for random correspondents to bombing meetings, and set a new monitoring word for.Dirty, neglected, incomplete behavior“In the words of Senator Mark Warner from Virginia.
At the local level, there is already a crisis of recruitment in the American army, with About a quarter Of the soldiers who leave after the first two years. How will these soldiers be, and Their familiesA reaction to learning that the rules of confidentiality may apply to them, but No to political figures? Or the news that these politicians may be wrong Their lives are at risk without Pay any price? The Public Prosecutor referred to the sign chat The investigation will not be investigated like Violation of the espionage lawAnd the administration announced that “Closed“On the scandal.
The accountability is the only way to restore confidence after this failure. Otherwise, the geopolitical and local repercussions of the sign chat scandal will get worse over time, she says. “Every person should be launched on the text of the group, or resign, and this does not happen clearly.”
Doubted decision was taken after a broken discussion on an unsafe platform: it is not a collective thinking to consider the scandal and agree to the accusation of Lopeton.
This is an article on opinion and analysis, and the opinions expressed by the author or authors are not necessarily that American scientific.