I am not a conspiracy theorist. I do, however, think there is a loose association of moneyed interests which pushes an agenda that is counterproductive to ordinary people. It's an agenda of profit over people, of business needs over human needs, etc. It is not hidden away in some dark room. It is visible, generally reported on, and mostly operating in the open. It is even, in many cases, in accord with what people want. These interests, after all, bring us products and services. But when they push for government favors for themselves and cutting programs that don't help them, then people need to vote and organize to defeat them.

As for the federal reserve, yes, they have the power accorded to them by law and it is extensive.  Does it enslave us? Is it controlled by the rich? These questions might as well be "does society enslave us?" and "is society controlled by the rich?". To some extent the answer is yes. All societies and their institutions restrict people in some way. They are also, as noted above, controlled to some extent by the rich. But that doesn't mean you are a slave or are controlled by a cabal. You also have power and ordinary people, acting democratically, have made things happen for themselves. There's a continuum here and these questions, as posed, presume an extreme which is a bit of a stretch.