Conserve thier god given right to exploit everyone and everything for thier short term benefit.

For the elites: conserve their hierarchy and the structures that enable the gradual accumulation of power in the hands of the few.

For the rest: conserve their place in the hierarchy and the comfort of the familiar.

Hear, hear! Maybe conserve an oppressive power structure, conserve plans to harm humanity world-wide or conserve a backwards trajectory to a brutal, slave-based economy.