Who is helping out here? It's becoming hard to pinpoint.

On the freighter I believe that Frank, Blank, Sayid and Desmond are trying to help the 815ers.

On the island I believe that Jacks' group is trying to help themselves be rescued. Ben and Locke are protecting the island and NOT trying to get rescued.

Charlotte and Faraday are helping the freighties/Widmore and disarmed the gas to protect themselves. Juliet allowing this was a mistake. She should have killed them both because now the frieghties can storm the island without fear of the gas.

After I posted this poll I realized i should have separated Widmore and the folks on the ship into this extra choice

Widmore
Folks on ship in spite of their orders

But I don't know how to change it? Mod help?

Who is helping out here? It's becoming hard to pinpoint.

Jack, in his flashfoward, he is trying to get back to the Island. Ben and Locke are two peas in a pod, both want the Island for personal reasons, Widmore wants it for financial gain, Jack really wants to help. It's his doctor persona, his character.

I think Jack and Locke both thing they are doings what's best for the Losties--the just think what's best for them is different. Jack thinks is getting off the island. Locke thinks its protecting the island for the whole world.

I think that Widmore and Ben both have selfish motives at heart. They may rationalize them, but the root of their motivation is power. Widmore to exploit the island, and Ben to hoard it.

I'm actually leaning towards Ben as much as I hate to admit it. That whole deal in the Economist where he asks Sayid if he want to help his friends just keeps coming back to haunt me. Add in the fact that Jack seems to think (in the future) they made a terrible mistake by leaving the island adds to it all for me. Of course then there's the Hurley, Charlie encounter. It all seems to keep pointing in a direction I didn't think possible. Ben did tell Micheal that he, Ben/the others were the good guys.