capitalizing on lazy consumerist suckers

Read "Propaganda" by Edward Bernays. The rise of "public relations" (i.e. propaganda in the form of advertising) is responsible for driving this, and in that book Bernays gleefully preaches how that is a good thing (because those in power obviously know better than everyone else) and gives plenty of examples of the manipulative methods used to sell stuff.

capitalizing on lazy consumerist suckers

Read "Propaganda" by Edward Bernays. The rise of "public relations" (i.e. propaganda in the form of advertising) is responsible for driving this.