The really scary thing, ButtonBasher, is that you are hitting the nail on head.
We DO only have as much freedom as we are allowed.
Commercialism and the Media IS controlling our thoughts.
And you are trapped, because to do anything else (ie, move on to a dessert island) is inheretently abhorrent.

Take the current Bush administration's drive to get GWB re-elected. Most of America is being brain-washed with a biased Media coverage.

The Iraq war was built up from mass public hysteria from a threat that didn't exist - thus gaining support from the masses.

I have realised this situation for the past 10years, and have spoken about it to friends and other web communities before. It exasperates me at the aparent 'blindness' of the general public - are they really that thick?

I have almost quit watching the news, because all I see is propaganda towards the satisfaction of a few 'prophesies' that were written down thousands of years ago.
There is a theory that the world is controlled by 12 people (the disciples?).
Who are they, and what do they hope to achieve?

The Illuminartti (sp?)?
The Freemasons?

I would be willing to bet that most of the 'high profile' terrorist attacks (ie, 911, Russian school, hostage beheadings) are internally engineered 'stunts' to sway public opinion towards an end-game.

One World Order?

There can never be a cash-less society, unless we can all agree to forsake all possession - it is human nature to compete, and that goes for accumulation of wealth also. And we are all guilty of it.

But hey, Grizzly Adams did it!

It all sounds so depressive and final - this is your life, deal with it - but if you know how to play the game, then life becomes easier.

For example, for reasons that would be too deep and personal at this time, I have chosen to divorce myself from society, and become a hermit. I still have to go to work, cos I can't live without cash, but I become a zombie - get stoned, do the job, get paid, go home - zero emotional content.
That way, they get what they want - a worker and contributor to society, and I get what I want - the means to make my life as contentable as possible.
It's not always easy, because I find it very difficult not to care, but I find that if I get involved, I just end up getting frustrated at peoples short-sightedness .

We must all look at the bigger picture.
It's a bit like standing very close to a painting - all you see is little brushmarks - stand further back, and an image will reveal itself.


Jeez, I kinda went on one then, sorry
I got issues, don't I?

lmfaooo

Sod it, pass me the dope, I'll skin-up a mind-jobber, init!!

Res...