Muscat was desperately trying to shift the public’s attention away from the Panama affair at the time. Troglodytes like Edwin Vassallo would have taken the bait and probably quoted the Bible while doing so.

In that scenario Busuttil traded long-term political capital for a short-term show of force and unity. I’m not so sure it paid off in the end, but in the circumstances I don’t think it was a totally idiotic decision.

It’s trivial to stage the initial support and make the movement all look organic and natural, just like how Adrian Delia seems to have come out of nowhere on a white horse.

Now, try repeating that to the party members in a language they understand.

“Groupthink is a psychological phenomenon that occurs within a group of people in which the desire for harmony or conformity in the group results in an irrational or dysfunctional decision-making outcome.

Group members try to minimize conflict and reach a consensus decision without critical evaluation of alternative viewpoints by actively suppressing dissenting viewpoints, and by isolating themselves from outside influences.”