In a word, No.

Our government is a representative of our country. They are elected by us to represent us.

Anything they do is our responsibility.

Sometimes the connections we make to advance can haunt us. For Obama to refute his puppet masters would also be akin to Obama committing suicide. I think a John F. Kennedy had a change of heart about his controllers. He didn't like what they were telling him, he talked a little, and hes now dead. Who knows how much different the world would be if the money wasn't piled so high in one corner. what we have now is corporatism and next will be technocracy...

Its all just going to be a matter of opinion as if there is a group pulling the strings they have hidden themselves out of blames way.

IMHO, the answer is that yes, politicians are simply puppets. Again, IMHO, common sense says that the real power lays with those who control the money. You cannot run so much as a McDonald’s without money, let alone a country. The entire world is run by Central Banks. Central Banks can be shown to be behind every modern war, and often for the reason of spreading Central Banking and Capitalist Oligarchies throughout the world. Politicians do not represent anyone, they are simply scapegoats that are used to give the rest of us hope for change, and a feeling of having some level of control. When our elected representation does what its told, which is never in our best interest, then they take the blame as opposed to the ones giving the actual orders.

I'm not even sure to what extent that the politicians even are aware that they are controlled. Its all done through controlling budgets, greed, re-election favors owed back, giving politicians or their family positions in corporations, stock interests, lobbying, etc...

I have little doubt there is some sort of "game" afoot and that any head of state, especially of the superpower US and others nearing its stature, are all in on it. To a large extent it is probably a necessary game but there are factions within that have their own agendas to carry out in their own behalf.

I expect there is enough world wealth that if shared it would allow everyone to have plenty to eat without doing a day's work, but then who would do the necessary work to produce those meals? I expect that to a great extent "scarcity" is contrived. Most of us must face a struggle so that we have an incentive to work harder and produce what is necessary for the world's people. If everyone received pay for their efforts that permitted them to live carefree then what would compel them to get up early each morning, fight through traffic, and perform their tasks at a level that would permit them to advance to better positions? I expect if everyone was financially comfortable and happy many would just shirk their duties and stay in bed half the time.

Things are set up to compel the younger people entering the workforce to go through some drudgery and develop a good work ethic in hopes of future advancement. If one plays the game well they may find they have earned a few luxuries as they have gotten older. Of course not everything always works out fair for everyone. The whole game gets more involved than this but the example can be applied as a foundational view into our world of puppetry and why one is probably necessary in an industrialized world. I expect income taxes and such things are more likely control devices and potential traps to be sprung on anyone being targeted, not to mention being another governmental revenue source.