Who Benefits?

Jamie Allman is an investigative reporter back in my hometown of St. Louis. In the last several years, Jamie's claim to fame is no longer the investigative reporting, but sharing the truth about national and international situations. Basically, if it happens on earth, Jamie is going to get to the bottom of what iss REALLY going on.

Today, I happened across his blog, Allman's Electric Stove. You can search it out through: www.971talk.com

One of his articles asks the question, "Who benefits?" He said in his time as an investigative reporter, the single best question one can ask during an investigation is, "Who benefits?"

Someday I'll probably write a book on how I don't believe in alturism (the idea one performs selfless acts for the benefit of another). I believe we can all have selfless feelings, but even the best act of chairity (that being anonymous) still gives the giver a good feeling about his/her deed.

Anyway, if you ask, "Who benefits?", I think you can get to the bottom of the story fastest (and I've thought this for years, Jamie just shortened it for me). When learning of leaks in the press, who benefits? Chances are, there's your culprit. When there's a crime committed, who benefits? When there's a political issue, who benefits?And ya know what? Most people will never ask this question. And because of that, most guilty parties will get off scot free.

This lacsidasical attitude on the part of we Americans is precisely why we're such lemmings when it comes to news.What's that? You say you're not? Awesome! I don't think of myself as a lemming, either. But ya know what? Unless I ask some real pointed questions, I do, in fact, end up eating whatever the media machine pushes out. Sad fact of life... which is why I'll continue to try to self educate as much as I can. I hope you will, too.