I’m a registered dietitian and understanding these ingredients is part of my job.
First of all, once you actually have enough science education to understand what all the chemical names actually mean you realize that most of them are either vitamins/minerals added into foods, harmless fillers to bring down the cost of production, preservatives to keep the food fresh, and emulsifiers to make the ingredients mix better.
You specifically mention “natural flavors,” which is actually the ingredient that pisses me off the most when I see it on labels, not because it’s harmful, since the majority of the time you see this is simply a blend of natural ingredients. It’s annoying because anyone that has food allergies has no way of knowing if their allergen is included or not. What do you mean by it just being a lie? There are rules for how this stuff needs to get labeled that are pretty well followed.
Also, it HAS gotten better. A lot of food companies have started to examine if ingredients are necessary in packaged foods, which is a response to people like you questioning them and ultimately deciding to spend their money on the item with the most simple ingredients list.
Ultimately, the food supply chain definitely has flaws but for the most part is well monitored. I think your rage would be better directed at dietary supplements, which have NO oversight or uniformity and are way more harmful than ANY food ingredient ever will be.