Sometimes we become slaves by our own doing. Such as addictions or dept, but how does such a large population become slaves to an individual, or an ideology?

People were never meant to be slaves. We should be free thinking, free to work and make a living; all within reason. Of course, it’s important that a person understands they must work hard to survive, but when people become mechanical, controlled, mindless without thoughts of their own, it scares me.