re: #57 goddamnedfrank

Is there a sociological term for institutional ass covering and wagon circling? Because you can see the problem everywhere, from police departments to schools like Penn State to the military to basically every church scandal ever. The people in the institution become so invested in the organization they belong to and its reputation that they’ll condone damned near any kind of fucked up behavior and cover up for the myriad shit weasels in their midst to defend it. It’s like they stop viewing themselves as individuals whose personal integrity matters above everything else and instead start acting like systemic antibodies tasked with defending the corporate body against outside attack.

It’s the major downside of esprit de corps. Lots of activities done to build up group identity - and then that identity leads to a willingness to cover up in the face of external criticism.