[21:17] <Vossol> Report: Hussein-Al Qaeda Link Wasn't Definite
[21:17] <Vossol> In a nationally televised address last October in which he sought to rally congressional support for a resolution authorizing war against Iraq, President Bush declared that the government of Saddam Hussein posed an immediate threat to the United States by outlining what he said was evidence pointing to its ongoing ties with al Qaeda.
[21:17] <Vossol> A still-classified national intelligence report circulating within the Bush administration at the time, however, portrayed a far less clear picture about the link between Iraq and al Qaeda than the one presented by the president, according to U.S. intelligence analysts and congressional sources who have read the report.
[21:22] > decision to invade result of groupthink
[21:22] > outside opinions discounted
[21:22] > leader shows bias
[21:25] <Vossol> i just hope they are doing this to reduce terrorism and it does not increase it instead. plus I hate to think they are out trying to "convert" the world to democracy and capitalism out of some belief they need to do it to make the world a better place.
[21:26] > the CIA reported b4 invasion that doing so may in fact increase the risk of terrorism
[21:26] > the admin ignored it
[21:32] > symptoms of groupthink: illusion of invulnerability, collective effort to rationalize their decision, unquestioned belief in the group's inherent morality, streotyped view of enemy leaders as too evil to warrant genuine attempts to negotiate, emergence of self appointed mind gaurds (people whom don't express contrary views for fear of reprisal)
[21:34] > two implicit assumptions re groupthink: we are a good group so any decietful acts that we perpetrate are fully justified.. anyone who is unwilling to distort the truth to help is disloyal
[21:37] > things a leader can do to prevent groupthink.. remain impartial, welcome objections, invite outside opinions, encourage anonymity when expressing opinions (ie secret ballot), after consensus encourage expression of residual doubts among group members, etc |
