Diffuse chains of command legitimize abuses while incriminating no one

Evidence

The abuses occurred in a prison with all types of authorizers but no clear line of authority. These conditions created a climate of legitimization of torturous practices that incriminated no one. The graphic photos of abuse and humiliation at Abu Ghraib commanded worldwide attention, but the singular focus on Abu Ghraib made it easy to dismiss the abusive practices as isolated aberrations perpetrated by a few rogue guards who violated military rules. As the investigative report by the army’s inspector general succinctly put it, “these abuses should be viewed as what they are—unauthorized actions taken by a few individuals” (White & Higham, 2004). — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 2407

The abuses occurred in a prison with all types of authorizers but no clear line of authority. These conditions created a climate of legitimization of torturous practices that incriminated no one. The graphic photos of abuse and humiliation at Abu Ghraib commanded worldwide attention, but the singular focus on Abu Ghraib made it easy to dismiss the abusive practices as isolated aberrations perpetrated by a few rogue guards who violated military rules. As the investigative report by the army’s inspector general succinctly put it, “these abuses should be viewed as what they are—unauthorized actions taken by a few individuals” (White & Higham, 2004). — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement, 2407

Categorization

• XREF: Connects to the Milgram obedience experiments and the banality of evil literature — diffusion of responsibility as a precondition for atrocities.
• corroborated: 3 independent passages support this claim — Albert Bandura, Moral Disengagement: How People Do Harm…, 2407