The establishment and controlled assets

Everyone who works on behalf of the establishment is a "controlled asset", with clear boundaries they can't step beyond, without being damaged in some way.

For them free will is an illusion.

Their desire to keep the benefits of their allegiance to the establishment keeps them tethered, like a puppet on a string.

And for most the strings are invisible, for they have accepted the establishment's pronouncements as "truth".

But if they have seen through the lies of the establishment and remain quiet they get to keep the benefits of their obedience. 

However if they speak out their careers and reputations are ruined, because they are no longer controllable. And that makes them a threat to the dominance of the establishment, which must punish them to scare others out of following their example. 

Conspiracy theories and the establishment

I think some people go way too far with their conspiracy theories. 

While it's true the establishment are massive liars, they only lie about things that are important to their various agendas that they are confident they can get away with.

It would be foolish of them to lie about unimportant matters or things that can easily be proven false, for this would make them lose all credibility, even among the most uninformed members of the population. 

Instead they settle for a certain percentage of the population knowing their litany of lies, as long as their number is significantly smaller than those who are convinced their lies are true.