We as people have definitely a lot of power too. It depends if we play their game or not. But I think a majority don't care or don't want to know what's going on behind the scene. They rather live in the bubble they created themselves and feel comfortable with. If we all would stop playing their game we could indeed change a lot.
Also, I think all that suffering leads to enlightenment if you actually want to. Seems like a lot of people waking up right now. This is the first step. But it surely takes time.