Abu Ghraib: Our Surprise is the only Surprise

As pictures and videos surface showing young American soldiers humiliating and dehumanizing Iraqi prisoners, we, as a society, recoil in disgust and disbelief. Friends and family of those charged with such crimes, shake their heads in bewilderment and assure the world that the perpetrators are normal, caring, loving individuals without any prior sadistic or bullying traits.

As the picture of prisoner degradation develops, the only surprise is that we are surprised.

Where have the American people, the Military, the Security Agencies, the Administration, and the Media been hiding for the past 30 years?

Research in Social Psychology is rampant with experiments clearly demonstrating the impact of situational influence on behavior. From Zimbardo's famous prison experiments at Stanford University (1971) and Milgram's extensive body of work on obedience (the administration of electrical shock torture by non-pathological students (1974 and following), the dangers of placing untrained, well-meaning but naïve individuals into a system where the cues of social acceptability have been perverted, has been shown to lead to exactly that behavior which the world has been watching over the past few months.

The killer children of Golding's Lord of the Flies, the torturers of the Inquisition, the Jew killers of Reserve Battalion 101 (Browning, 1993), are not inherently evil people, somehow different from you and I. They ARE us ? placed into an intolerable, stress-laden pressure cooker where daily norms no longer apply. Systematically, they are praised and rewarded for aberrant behaviors, pushed on the road to doom with a small first step, taught to dehumanize their victims in an atmosphere where responsibility is diffused, anonymity guaranteed, and the absolute need for obedience to gain the goal (information, safety of other soldiers, National Security) is demanded.

Under such extreme conditions, the behaviors exhibited by the Abu Ghraib MPs should have been completely expected. The Military and Governmental agencies involved have behavioral experts and 30 years of research at their fingertips. To anticipate what might occur, and to plan accordingly ? ensuring that supervision was relentless, prohibitions against improper behaviors were clear and unambiguous, training provided, and readily-accessed mechanisms provided for reports of questionable activity ? was the job of the Army, the Government, and the Administration, listening to their own psychological experts.

Courts-Martial of individual guards for their unacceptable and abhorrent behaviors are warranted to the extent that the individual always bears ultimate responsibility for their personal actions. However, the primary responsibility must fall on those who directed and developed a system almost guaranteed to produce those actions which have recently appalled all Americans and degraded our National image.

Not knowing the research, not reading long reports, not having the time to focus on a small area of an enormous task, does not excuse nor absolve of guilt. The top commanders are where the buck stops and where accountability truly lies.

Virginia Bola is a licensed clinical psychologist with deep interests in Social Psychology and politics. She has performed therapeutic services for more than 20 years and has studied the results of cultural forces and employment on the individual. She is the author of an interactive workbook, The Wolf at the Door: An Unemployment Survival Manual, and a monthly ezine, The worker's Edge. She can be reached at http://www.virginiabola.com

---

An ROI on National Security

Do you find it interesting that people complain about the... Read More

Farming Human Clones

If someone wanted to farm future clones they would need... Read More

Housing Bubble, Interest Rates, Timber Costs; What Has Changed?

What has really changed in the housing market with regards... Read More

The FTC Purports and Misrepresents Their Law Enforcement Experience as It Attacks Business

We should all give much kudos to the Federal Trade... Read More

National ID Cards Have More Than Australians Concerned

Fearful that terrorists will next target Australia, Prime Minister John... Read More

Belly Full of the Clintons [Political View]

As I read the papers and watch the news day... Read More

UAV Materials and Thoughts on New Technologies and Keeping Up With Our Opponents

Possible UAV materials are infinite: Foam, Composite, Balsa Wood, Plastic,... Read More

A Modern Lite in the Third World

Americans pride themselves on being the best, that's a fact.... Read More

Elliot Spitzer, are the Rats Leaving the Ship

Are the junior attorneys in the Attorney General's office leaving... Read More

Chinese Ministry of Information Internet Registration Laws

China maybe stopping some of the SPAM coming into the... Read More

DC Lawyers; Have I Got a Case for You?

This is no time for the Black community to sue... Read More

Workmens Compensation Lawyers, Lets Raise Minimum Wage; No Lets Not, Say We Did, We Have

The debate to raise minimum wage in California is totally... Read More

Wartime Prisoners and the Will to Fight; War is Hell, Let?s Win Alright?

We learned some lessons in these last few wars. For... Read More

Some Farmers and Organic Growers are Upset at Monsanto

The organic farmers are angry that Monsantos terminator GM seeds... Read More

Lyndon Johnson - The Day After Dallas

J. Edgar Hoover and LBJ used to enjoy watching Hoover's... Read More

Count Rumford

Why did FDR say Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and Count... Read More

Think You Dont Need A License for A Wireless Microphone? Think Again

Believe it or not, every theatre, church, or Britney Spears... Read More

Where have all the Heroes gone

America is filled with standouts and perserverance; our nation has... Read More

The Absurdity of the Public School Monopoly

The notion that local governments should have almost total monopoly... Read More

Cindy Sheehan ? President Bush and the Accountability Moment

Death may not be dignified in any light but the... Read More

Dealing With UK Water Rates Debts: What You Need To Know

UK Water RatesYOU CANNOT BE DISCONNECTED FOR WATER RATES DEBTSWater... Read More

Constitutional Amendment Needed on Sodomy Laws

Many very nice and loving homosexual male couples want to... Read More

Operation Iraqi Freedom, Soldiers and Their Psyche

Have you noticed that the when the service men who... Read More

Congress Considers National Data Privacy Law

Legislation was introduced into Congress this week that would establish... Read More

Sweet Lies, The Aspartame Issue

Aspartame activists are constantly being attacked because all data are... Read More

How To Date Ann Coulter (If You Must)

I've decided to go public with my intentions: I will... Read More

The Criminality of Transition

Lecture given at the Netherlands Economic Institute (NEI) on 18/4/2001Human... Read More

The U.S. Department of Justice vs. the Realty Industry, and Its Effect on Consumers

From the National Association of Realtors' Virtual Office Website policy,... Read More

New York Lawyers; Vindictive Government Prosecutors

We all know Elliot Spitzer is going to run for... Read More

The Ugly American Returns!

Originally published in 1958, "The Ugly American" (Lederer & Burdick)... Read More

Problems in the Media

I am noticing an increasing and alarming rate to which... Read More

Victims of Child Support

"Similar to Medieval Inquisitions, judges have been given the authority,... Read More

Workaholism, Leisure and Pleasure

The official working week is being reduced to 35 hours... Read More