I think Steve Jobs said something along these lines once. That when he was young he thought "the man" was spoonfeeding idiocy to the masses through television to keep them complacent, but as he grew older he realized that the masses wanted stupid content and that rich people simple indulged people's base desires.

Agree ... there is a heavy element of truth in Job's observation.

I sometimes push back like this mentioning Marshal Tucker lyrics:

I heard it in a love song.

I heard it in a love song.

I heard it in a love song.

Can't be wrong.

No, the whole point is it is wrong: you were told what you wanted to hear. They got their's now where are you? Stop believing the nonsense!

Fleetwood Mac's players only love you when they're playin' is the same sentiment.

Where oh where is our vaunted common sense? Atticus had it in to kill a mockingbird. Alas Job reminds Atticus is the exception.

This more so applies to current American politics ... which has been on my mind of late.

This is because put simply, at the core, humans are dumb. We are only intelligent to the extent we acquire knowledge and formalise it to understand the world and make rational decisions to ensure one is better off.

GIven that the majority do not possess this trait, the outcome is nothing but inevitable. The mistake Jobs made was assuming that what he thought about the world should ring true for everyone.