If there was an international conspiracy of "crony capitalism" one would not see the changes that can happen in almost the blink of an eye in the corporate world. Or, are the companies and banks that vanish like the driven snow, or have their principals prosecuted, outside the "golden circle".
Educational dumbing down is a strange concept because once you start a child on the road to education they have within themselves no limits, if capable, and nowadays access to virtually all knowledge.
You are correct, those that get nobbled are outside of the golden circle. Manufactured boom and bust and other crises mean that resources can be bought up for pennies on the pound, power and influence aggregated and competitors can be wiped out. The Rothchild's did exactly this when announcing Napoleon had won the Battle of Waterloo a day before the actual result was known more widely.
For those who can't bring themselves to plough through 1360 pages here is an excellent cartoon on how our financial system really works. Anyone who chooses to be ignorant of this, well, they need to go back to their I-chair!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGk5ioEXlIM only 30 mins
or a classic documentary:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g47NGtODeVM
As for 'Educational dumbing down', I'm sorry to say you currently have completely the wrong end of the stick. In order to fully understand the meaning and implications of this you would, most easily, need to read or listen to John Taylor Gatto and I'd also suggest Charlotte Iserbyt. Compulsory Schooling is not about education, it is based on the Prussion schooling model and the results that it produces.
The Trivium and Quadrivium are not taught in the schools for the masses for a very good reason. You may be aware that Caesar threatened to kill one of his Centurions for daring to share these very things with a slave!
Essential viewing for anyone with even half a brain cell is 'The Ultimate History Lesson'.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YQiW_l848t8
This is all necessary background study in order to fully understand the modern environmentalism movement and the climate change 'crisis'! It is all the well tested technique of divide and conquer, co-opting and the Hegelian Dialectic which can be more clearly described as Problem, Reaction, Solution! If you don't have a big enough Problem for your needs, then manufacturer one even if you have to deceive or even kill your own population to do it. As they say in Hot Fuzz "The greater good!". Unfortunately it results in the greater evil and enslavement of the ignorant masses. As Mark Passio says, near enough, and would like to be remembered for " To be willfully ignorant when surrounded by knowledge of the truth makes someone a BAD PERSON!"
Remember that 'Perception is not reality' I truly enlightened and educated mind is one that seeks out and brings itself into alignment with the truth, no matter what. Many people won't do this because it is too horrifying and uncomfortable, they just run back to their I-chair and suck their thumb whilst attacking those that would have them enlightened, real human beings who are doing their duty. Hear no evil, see no evil, only speak evil! The tide is changing though, truth is rising, more people are waking up from their TV induced zombie state and those who ridicule, attack and refuse to learn are now becoming the laughing stock. I would highly recommend Mark Passio's lecture on Natural Law. Those that are honest of heart and mind will get through it and come out of the other side with a much better understanding.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1pkJaNbzLU Of course his presentation on 'New Age BS' will ruffle a lot of feathers but then it is supposed to. Lead people out of the darkness into the light kicking and screaming I say, ignorance is harming us all, most significantly the pure and innocent. Willful ignorance of the truth makes someone a BAD PERSON!