It's hard to propagandize people who are content since they have little incentive to alter their disposition. Of course the populace is propagandized, but you're talking as if they're incapable of having a preference over their own economic situation, which is absurd. People feel sad and angry when their life gets worse, and propagandists can channel such emotions. Angry people are naturally easier to motivate than happy ones, because they want something to change whereas happy people don't. (Obviously I'm phrasing things a bit loosely for the sake of brevity here.)