The Jargon File (version 4.4.7, 29 Dec 2003):

SNAFU principle
 /sna'foo prin?si?pl/, n.

    [from a WWII Army ac?ro?nym for ?Situation Normal, All Fucked Up?] ?True
    communication is possible only between equals, because inferiors are more
    consistently rewarded for telling their superiors pleasant lies than for
    telling the truth.:? ? a central tenet of Discordianism, often invoked by
    hackers to explain why authoritarian hierarchies screw up so reliably and
    systematically. The effect of the SNAFU principle is a progressive
    disconnection of decision-makers from reality. This lightly adapted version
    of a fable dating back to the early 1960s illustrates the phenomenon
    perfectly:


    In the beginning was the plan,
           and then the specification;
    And the plan was without form,
           and the specification was void.

    And darkness
           was on the faces of the implementors thereof;
    And they spake unto their leader,
           saying:
    ?It is a crock of shit,
           and smells as of a sewer.?

    And the leader took pity on them,
           and spoke to the project leader:
    ?It is a crock of excrement,
           and none may abide the odor thereof.?

    And the project leader
           spake unto his section head, saying:
    ?It is a container of excrement,
           and it is very strong, such that none may abide it.?

    The section head then hurried to his department manager,
           and informed him thus:
    ?It is a vessel of fertilizer,
           and none may abide its strength.?

    The department manager carried these words
          to his general manager,
    and spoke unto him
          saying:
    ?It containeth that which aideth the growth of plants,
          and it is very strong.?

    And so it was that the general manager rejoiced
          and delivered the good news unto the Vice President.
    ?It promoteth growth,
          and it is very powerful.?

    The Vice President rushed to the President's side,
          and joyously exclaimed:
    ?This powerful new software product
          will promote the growth of the company!?

    And the President looked upon the product,
          and saw that it was very good.

    After the subsequent and inevitable disaster, the suits protect
    themselves by saying ?I was misinformed!?, and the implementors are demoted
    or fired. Compare Conway's Law.


The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (30 December 2018):

SNAFU principle

   /sna'foo prin'si-pl/ [WWII Army acronym for "Situation Normal:
   All Fucked Up"] "True communication is possible only between
   equals, because inferiors are more consistently rewarded for
   telling their superiors pleasant lies than for telling the
   truth." - a central tenet of Discordianism, often invoked
   by hackers to explain why authoritarian hierarchies screw up
   so reliably and systematically.  The effect of the SNAFU
   principle is a progressive disconnection of decision-makers
   from reality.  This lightly adapted version of a fable dating
   back to the early 1960s illustrates the phenomenon perfectly:

    In the beginning was the plan,
          and then the specification;
    And the plan was without form,
          and the specification was void.

    And darkness
          was on the faces of the implementors thereof;
    And they spake unto their leader,
          saying:
    "It is a crock of shit,
          and smells as of a sewer."

    And the leader took pity on them,
          and spoke to the project leader:
    "It is a crock of excrement,
          and none may abide the odor thereof."

    And the project leader
          spake unto his section head, saying:
    "It is a container of excrement,
          and it is very strong, such that none may abide it."

    The section head then hurried to his department manager,
          and informed him thus:
    "It is a vessel of fertilizer,
          and none may abide its strength."

    The department manager carried these words
         to his general manager,
    and spoke unto him
         saying:
    "It containeth that which aideth the growth of plants,
         and it is very strong."

    And so it was that the general manager rejoiced
         and delivered the good news unto the Vice President.
    "It promoteth growth,
         and it is very powerful."

    The Vice President rushed to the President's side,
         and joyously exclaimed:
    "This powerful new software product
         will promote the growth of the company!"

    And the President looked upon the product,
         and saw that it was very good.

   After the subsequent disaster, the suits protect themselves
   by saying "I was misinformed!", and the implementors are
   demoted or fired.

   [Jargon File]