Political Science: Mass Killings and Genocides

The main purpose of the Stanford Experiment was to investigate the psychological effects of perceived power by randomly assigning university students to act as guards or prisoners. It was supposed to last for two weeks but ended after just 6 days.

The term 'Banality of Evil' implies that ordinary individuals can commit horrific acts when they are part of systems that normalize such behaviors, rather than being inherently monstrous.

Not all supporters of Fascist or Nazi regimes can be considered equally complicit; complicity may vary based on individual awareness and the societal context that pressures conformity to harmful ideologies.

<p>Societal and organizational structures can assign values that normalize the dehumanization of certain groups, encouraging individuals to adopt harmful beliefs and justifying violence against designated targets.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>To build resilience against harmful values, it is necessary to foster cultures that emphasize empathy, critical thinking, and active rejection of ideologies promoting violence and discrimination.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Leaders order mass killings when they believe it will be strategically beneficial, often due to groupthink.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Coercion is the threat to inflict pain on a target if they do not comply with demands.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Strategic bombing targets an enemy's military, industrial, and civilian infrastructure, while tactical bombing focuses on specific military targets.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The objectives include breaking the morale of the population and destroying infrastructure.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>They aimed to create destruction and instill a constant fear of death among the German population.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The bombing resulted in over 30,000 deaths but did not lead to Chinese surrender.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The Blitz involved dropping over 12,000 tons of bombs, killing more than 30,000 people and damaging millions of houses.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>A key strategy is the decapitation of leadership to disrupt command and control.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon where the desire for consensus leads to poor decisions by suppressing dissent and ignoring alternatives.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Insulation of the group and lack of impartial leadership are two organizational features that contribute to groupthink.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Collective rationalizations is a symptom where the group justifies its decisions without considering opposing views.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The Bay of Pigs invasion resulted in failure and embarrassment for the U.S., influenced by an illusion of invulnerability among group members.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Illusion of unanimity occurs when members of a group mistakenly believe everyone agrees with a decision, leading to suppressed dissent.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Stereotypes of out-groups can lead to a simplistic and biased understanding of opponents, reinforcing groupthink.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>One symptom is the incomplete survey of alternatives, where the group fails to consider multiple options.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>High stress and low hope of finding a better solution trigger groupthink among group members.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>It likely discouraged individuals from expressing their doubts about the potential risks and long-term consequences of war.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Scowcroft's strong alignment and commitment to group cohesion likely prevented deeper exploration of diplomatic alternatives.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>His extensive diplomatic background and experience as CIA director helped gather a large consensus in the international community.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>It shows how ordinary individuals can follow orders, even to the extent of committing harmful acts under authority's pressure.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Groupthink theory cannot be generalized effectively since it relies on selected cases rather than a large sample size.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Procedures should allow careful consideration of all alternatives and demand explanations from policymakers when symptoms appear.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Colin Powell emphasized the importance of U.S. military personnel's security, advocating for a careful deployment of forces.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The occurrence of groupthink symptoms does not guarantee a tragedy will occur, but vigilance is necessary.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The domino theory assumed that if Vietnam fell to communism, it would lead to a widespread spread of communism throughout the region.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The Johnson administration viewed North Vietnam primarily as a puppet of the Soviet Union and China, ignoring its strong nationalist motivations.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>George Ball was one of the few high-ranking officials who consistently opposed the escalation of the Vietnam War and was marginalized in discussions.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Operation Desert Storm launched a large air campaign that, along with ground forces, liberated Kuwait in less than 100 hours.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>The gang of eight consisted of members who shared a homogeneous background, common values, and personal connections.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>President Bush framed the Gulf Crisis as a moral struggle against clear-cut aggression by Iraq, which influenced the firm response from the coalition.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Saddam Hussein was seen as an irrational and unpredictable actor by the members of the administration.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Groupthink can lead to suboptimal decision-making, but in the Gulf Crisis, it did not prevent a successful military outcome.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Up to 900,000 people were killed during the strategic bombing campaigns in Japan.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>They did not lead to the surrender of North Korea or North Vietnam.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>7.5 million tons of bombs were dropped during Operation Roaring Thunder.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Groupthink implies a mode of thinking where members of a cohesive in-group prioritize unanimity over realistic appraisal of alternatives.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Bombing often leads to anger and apathy among the population, rather than rebellion.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Strategic bombing had a minimal immediate effect on war economies, as military priorities often shielded crucial infrastructure.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>High-level leaders are often protected by underground bunkers or hidden locations, making them hard targets.</p> Signup and view all the answers

<p>Groupthink can lead to failures by causing a disregard for alternative options in favor of consensus.</p> Signup and view all the answers