portland independent media center  
images audio video
newswire article reporting global

education | political theory

The five Whys?

Here's a simple little tool to get at the root of most problems.
This is a little tool I picked up studying Toyota and find it useful for all sorts of applications.

When Toyota has an issue manufacturing cars, one of their tools is to ask the question "Why?" five times. This type of analysis allows them to identify the true source of the problem and make corrections at that level. The first why usually only scratchs the surface.

Pick a question and see where it takes you.

Q: Why do some people get so angry at 9/11 truthers?
Q: Why do some people blame Nader for the Democrats failures?
Q: Why did Obama vote for the FISA amendment?
Q: Why won't Congress impeach the President?

The five whys don't necessarily give you the correct answer but they will get you nearer to the root cause.

Have fun.