>>725158798
>But on the other hand I would posit that the "powers that be" treat the masses like cattle in a sens
It depends on the country but on average it's generally understood that openly treating people like sheep to be herded is, dare I say, a bad look that will end with you being decapitated. Throw in the fact that much of the nobility, though certainly not all, was genuinly replaced by enterprising merchant types and therefore has very little direct adherence to the way things used to be done and you have a ruling class that is genuinly more fearful and liberal while still largely viewing the masses as a problem to be controlled.
Basically they view people less like cattle and more like a nuclear power plant. Yes, you can control it and use it to power a lot of places. But it can also horribly blow up in your face and should be treated accordingly. It's a step, essentially, and most of the worst examples of corporations and politicians stepping on the feet of people comes from examples where they feel confident enough to exert themselves with popular support.
