A simple question that almost always leads to the truth -- "Who Profits?"

[Cyrano]

Whenever something (in politics, business, or any other field) seems irrational and totally out of whack, ask yourself this one simple question. "Who profits?"

A current example of this principle is Iraq. Who is profiting? Halliburton, The Carlyle Group, Blackwater, and many other corporations. But chief among those who are profiting are Halliburton (which fills Dick Cheney's pockets to overflowing), and The Carlyle Group (which further lines the pockets of the Bush Crime Family).

The next time something seems irrational or suspicious at your job, or on some telephone solicitation call, or in some news clip that you're watching, always remember to ask yourself, "Who profits?"

It's amazing how much sense things start to make when you ask yourself this simple question.

[EvolveOrConvolve]

1. It's a simple idea - voters vote for those candidates who will benefit them the most

For example, lower income groups often vote Democratic because us Dems are known for helping the downtrodden and poor. That extends to the politicians who pander to the lower income voting groups (not using pander here as a pejorative). If they say or do things that seem out of touch with reality to the upper class, it's because they are focusing on another group.

The problem lies in the fact that so much is done now, by both Democrats and Republics, to help the very rich or large corporations and that those actions are often veiled in secrecy. Self interest is an interesting evolutionary trait.

[Cyrano]

2. Well, if Darwin was completely accurate, we'll have

about three or four dozen families inheriting the earth.

I guess their biggest problem will be stepping around the graves of the other six or so billion people who used to live on the planet.

[Karenina]

3. and the stench...

Cui bono? Spot the LIE, follow the MONEY.

[leftofthedial]

8. sadly not true, at least not since the "raygun coalition"

when many working- and middle-class idiots started voting for repukes, specifically AGAINST their own self interest.

when one removes "informed" from the phrase (and the concept) of "informed self interest," the self interest part loses all meaning. By coopting the Amurkan media, the repuke-oligarchical conspiracy eliminated "informed" from all our lives.

[EvolveOrConvolve]

12. Agreed

I see these poor people every day that are SURE that the Republicans are going to protect them from the evil terra-ists and libbers and homosexuals who want to bugger their sons and force-abort their babies. These people feed off of the fear fed to them by the media.

I was writing in more general terms. The (maybe) positive aspect of societal evolution is that those who continue to support policies that are not in their best interests will either die or become informed and change positions.

[zanne]

4. That wise advice was given to me by a law professor...

And it's never failed me.

[Cyrano]

6. I too received this advice from a person of wisdom. And as with you, zanne,

it is advice that has never failed me.

[ljm2002]

5. Indeed...

...and using that principle, we see the global corporate oligarchy enriching themselves and taking control over everything in place of legitimate government. In fact most governments are owned by them anyway. And war is their profit machine.

[Cyrano]

9. Yep. War, the "gift" that never stops giving.

I'm not sure exactly when we lost our country, but somehow, someway, we must retake it. But it will never happen until the American public awakens from the "Matrix-like" dream world into which they've been seduced.

[Wiley50]

7. Cui Bono? Answer: Not Sonny, he's dead. Must be the other rock star. n/t

[hootinholler]

11. Um, then that would be Que Bono!

Sunday! Bloody Sunday...

-Hoot

[hootinholler]

10. Many of these maxims are age old...

We have little surviving snippets of latin to illustrate them: CuiBono? Indeed.

-Hoot