Slaves to our desires, slaves to our jobs or slaves to our consumer driven sickness but make no mistake; if you are on the grid somebody owns your ass.

We are slaves to something.

I work for my dad so he is the master...eww I dont like where this is going...

To quote Fight Club - Your possessions end up owning you. Its true I love music and films and have a lot of each and I end up cleaning and lugging them around all the time.

You obey your bodies needs and desires and have to obey all the rules and regulations the government brings in for the "greater good" blah blah...

One thing I think most people will agree on - I HATE TRAFFIC WARDENS! Goose-stepping little nazi's.

We are more slaves to ourselves than to any external force. Barring any conspiracy theories, we are only as big of slaves as we allow ourselves to be. Our physiology and brains, however, fully own us. We can only shape ourselves to a certain degree, there are some things we just cant change. Sure people can buy boobs and other surgery options, but that is not because society demands it of us. It is because we allow ourselves to be taken in and to believe that beauty is not from the inside. The most physically beautiful person can become hideous once they open their mouths, and the person nobody noticed may be the shining star. The kind of slavery under discussion here is voluntary, despite the fact that it may not appear to be so.
Also, I hate traffic wardens. Cripes they are annoying. Who decides to do that as a career?
P.S. I am a slave to coffee (because I allow myself to be)

Well said young lass

Yeah your right.

We can choose what we want to eat or drink or where we work etc so there is a level of freedom in choosing your lifestyle. People can become slaves to their addictions (drugs, booze, sex etc) when it becomes out of control and takes over your rational thoughts. I think you only become a slave to something when it consumes most of your thoughts and time and you will do almost anything to get it to the detriment of anything else. Shit I think I am stating the obvious....ah well thats my thoughts on it anyhow.

I agree that people who are quiet and dont stand out usually have the most relevant and well thought things to say.

I too drink WAY too much coffee and tea... but like you said I can choose not too but I like it so I do.

is the business.

Consumption, we are slaves to consumption, for consumer goods where the desire has ben manufactured with media campains and social conditioning!

I want my MTV

this is not good

There is a constant drone of consumer driven media that creates artificial needs. Chomsky was talking about the manufacture of consent and he was correct, but one may extend that concept to the manufacture of want.

One of the "four noble truths" is that the end of want is the end of suffering. However, in this culture of instant gratification how can we end want when the depth of our greed envelops us all daily?

Your right about the media creating need and want for things. Adverts saying you should buy skin cream or you will look haggard and old and no-one will fancy you or buying Lynx will make you instantly attractive to women who will want to jump your bones etc lol Usual ads aiming for our insecutiry regarding our age/looks etc. I am going to wear my age lines with pride when i become an old codger!

loads of people seem image obsessed etc and paranoid about their weight. I know i could stand to loose some weight for health reasons but you see pretty fit girls crying over themselves like they have a disease after they read their womens mags or see skinny ladies on the television etc (I have 5 sisters and they have all done it). Its all so much bullshit and it drives me mad!!! I love curvy girls over skinny models any day.

Bloody advert breaks between films, sports and the news...drives me nuts. I record em off the tv and watch them later on fast forwarding thru the sodding ads so i dont have to watch em; its much better hehe.

Without our needs and wants all these companies would loose money and influence over us.