"The conscious and intelligence manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in democratic society. Those who manipulate this unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country." --Edward Bernays, Propaganda.
I think the key here is "conscious and intelligent" portion. If you look at the
history of our government(s) and elite, the systems in play are very concious.
Many stem from theretical books from various authors; looking at history (including modern history) one can see direct pivot points in these manipulations. This applies to the corporate world as well -- which actually holds the true power these days.
--- ENiGMA 1/2 v0.0.8-alpha (linux; x64; 6.11.3)
* Origin: Xibalba -+- xibalba.l33t.codes:44510 (700:100/9)