OMERTA: Just Another Case of Us Against Them

Omerta is a Southern Italian code of silence, honor, and conduct that prescribes silence when questioned by authorities and non-cooperation with them.

Omerta, often associated with criminal activity and a specific geographical location, is essentially a system of ground rules and compartmentalization to limit the information and support provided to outsiders.

It's worth considering that variations of omerta can be observed in interactions with members of any group with a clear boundary between insiders and outsiders. For example, police workers (party or parish members) might be reluctant to openly discuss members of their in-group.

Such a blend of ground rules and compartmentalization grows from a clear division of the world into in-group and out-group members, which is standard for any group. "Even arbitrary distinctions between groups, such as preferences for certain paintings, or the color of their shirts, can trigger a tendency to favor one's own group at the expense of others" (see Minimal group paradigm).

{COMPARTMENTALIZATION, INFORMATION ASYMMETRY, COHESION, GROUPTHINK, GROUND RULES}