[mattigames]

Power over people does not come from making them happy, historically it comes from doing something close to the opposite, which is to convince them that they are missing "X" from their lifes, that there are greener pastures for those who purchase it ("x" being some soda, some new phone, et al) or the promise that they will get it if they do something they want (e.g. in religious context "x" can be heaven and they only get it by following some behaviors/commands)

[wybiral]

But that was when our labor was needed to generate wealth and power for those people. The churches wanted of to work to provide tithes and offerings, the markets want us to work to buy and produce goods.

What happens when that labor isn't as valuable? It seems like someone in power would either want to pacify us or eliminate us.