we are not slaves to the international bankers

Most of the folks here probably don't apply, but people are caught up in this world. Samsara is one to call it, but in English one might say that the world is in motion through action, and today, in 2010, just like all hourly employees can account for every minute they work, dollar bills can account for all 'action'.
Therefore we can look at what we own and we can see ourselves. Except for the guys eating the remains of cremations out of skull-bowls on the Ganges, we all own something. Even the ascetics have the skull-bowls!
Perhaps the bankers exploit this knowledge, but I am suggesting that all we're truly slaves to is our desires. They may be minimal, they may be culturally required, but these desires and the manifestations of such have somehow replaced other forms of selflessness. I see a (western) society with split personality- the socially conforming one and the locked-up child, and I wonder if I'm just biased or if the world is being trained that the only way to bridge the two is with "things" and that "happiness" is directly proportionate to "wealth".

My main point, however, is that we can't really blame anyone for our lives but ourselves. Not the bankers, not the cops, not even God because we make our own choices, as difficult as it has become under such heavy conformity. Even the choice to not conform is now conforming to a certain pre-disposition......like blaming races or cultures for our own failings.

I love the idea you have here, but, true individualism is likely to get you killed or put away. You can blame a culture if you understand the consequences to your own actions. You cannot say that you could happily live without state rule.
I would love to see a happy self fufilled life next to the pigeons in the park, or the bins outside restuarants. It rarely, if ever, happens.

Inner child is just a state of unknowing and reliance upon others for survival. If this is the case we are still children. To be an adult then I guess is to think for yourself, but we all know life is far more complex than playing 'games' on internet threads.
You have to connect thought with action and experience, and as many of us on here (not all, I will defend that) have never had the EXACT experience behind our words it comes to nothing.
My words will come to nothing without some experience or homework. But that's ok in the end because life is life. You go with it.

Originally posted by IandEye

My main point, however, is that we can't really blame anyone for our lives but ourselves. Not the bankers, not the cops, not even God because we make our own choices, as difficult as it has become under such heavy conformity. Even the choice to not conform is now conforming to a certain pre-disposition......like blaming races or cultures for our own failings.

sorry can't let that go without a challenge. You are obviously talking from the point of view of someone living in a relatively free westernised world.

You say we can't blame anyone for our lives. Who is the 'we' you're referring to because there are billions on this planet born and living under brutal tyranny, and slavery, with widespread disease, constant war, and a very real possiblilty of starvation. where are the choices you speak of for them?

Please try thinking about the lack of choices of these people and adjust your world view accordingly. If i wasn't so embaressed for you I'd be offended.