In times of old, when territories were vast and people were few, control of a whole individual proved to be very useful. Thus, the concept of slavery was born.

In modern times, when the world is just a crowded global village, full control of particular individuals has lost much of its appeal - better own them in layers of mass.

Why own only a few people when you can get the thing you want from many?

How does one maintain control today, then?

Whether it's votes, contributions, sales or just popular opinion you want, there are methods and technologies in place to leverage networks of people in your favor - strings are more useful than whips.

The single-mindedness of your hunger makes you a force to reckon with. Just as control through knowledge of fear works well with individuals, so it does work with the masses.

The popular acronym for the most useful method is "FUD" - fear, uncertainty, doubt.

To achieve your goals, call forth in your target audience fear of what might be, uncertainty of what is, and doubt of self - why shove when a nudge is enough?

Remember the universal nature of the divide-and-conquer strategy:

With power-over, you use fear as a wedge to widen it further - enhancing inner stress. The situation then oscillates in fear, thus providing you ample room for exploitation.

(In contrast, with power-with, you invoke the thing feared to end the duality and heal the situation - it's a clear cut.)

Who needs old-fashioned slavery when there's mass manipulation?