Where do journalists get their information? What social class do politicians and business owners belong to? What social class do university-educated literati aspire to and identify with? I don't know why you imagine a conspiracy of any kind is necessary.
I'm sorry, but this reads like some Qanon "drop". Why are you throwing implications at me instead of just providing the argument you've clearly already formed?
I don't believe that a conspiracy is required per se, but i don't see what other argument you could be trying to make. I can tell from your rhetorical questions that you're implying some power dynamic and allegiance between politicians and CEOs, but I don't see how that explains the peoples own propensity for voting for those same politicians.
If democracy does nothing else, it at the very least implicates the people in their own apparent suffering. You can't really decry the "elites" if you vote for them.
