The answer is no. We should not be surprised at all because with power comes responsibility and corruption. I can categorically state that every single person in a position of power has at some time or another used their position to further a cause of themselves or a friend of theirs. Many will have fiddled expenses or just stolen from those they work for. Every single one without exception, why? Because it is the human condition to take what is there and store it away or use it, whether that be food, water or money. It is also the human condition to use influence, to show one's status by making things happen that only they can do.
This comes from the way society has always been structured. The wealthy at the top and the poor beneath them mopping up the scraps. By becoming more powerful there are riches to be had, a greater share of the scraps that fall from the fat cats and shadowy governmental ass-holes. Previously in society it has been then necessary to show this status with possessions and trinkets, something exploited by corporates so that you buy shit you don't need so that you look good in front of your peers and have greater influence over people in your lives. This "structure" is enforced by the use of money, the more access to money the more powerful you are and with that power comes the ability to make more money in a cycle.
The conditioning of our children, and ourselves, is constantly going on. You need to buy stuff otherwise you will look poor and therefore have no influence in society, no-one will listen to you and so you will have bad things happen. And so we try to "work up the ladder". We play the corporate game of "careers", trying to outperform others meanwhile making money for the companies we work for who don't give a fuck about us or the customers that hand over hard earned cash so they can have worthless trinkets to make it look as if they are better off then they really are. And so the slaves are distracted from the reality of slavery trapped in a virtual game of building a career whilst always being a slave, told to keep working until their useful lives are spent. Then when they retire they realise that it's all been for nothing except to line the pockets of the rich who, ironically, do not bother with the trinkets.
During these careers people often get promoted to positions of power and as such the pressure is on to buy ever more elaborate trinkets. With access to funds and expenses the trinkets become all too shiny and so the corruption starts......
Corruption comes from greed, greed is fuelled by fear of hunger (or being less well off) and the possibility of plenty, if there was no poor there would be no rich, no hunger, no plenty and therefore no corruption.
If there were no money, and everyone was entitled to the food they required and the housing they needed
If the motivation for "living like rich people in big houses" was removed by the destruction of promotion of trinkets and the images and ideals of the rich.
If peaceful living was promoted
If research was done for the benefit of all not the profits of the few
If instead of promoting Corporate competition, we promoted community spirit.
If we promoted consensus rather than rule by the elite, a democracy where it was decisions that were voted on (referendums) not voting for people or parties that carry out agendas far removed from normal life.
In short, the current system (which is at best full of incompetent and corrupt idiots who feel that voters are too stupid to make decisions, and at worst ruled by a shadowy elite which deliberately subdue and oppress the people) needs to be destroyed and replaced by a new system, one where the plenty is shared among all not just the parasitic elite.
I can almost hear people say, what about the lazy? what about those who do not contribute? the pursuit of money is the only thing that keeps them from laying in bed all day. What about the benefit culture of free handouts that means people do nothing.?
By eliminating money and having plenty for all it removes the excuse that people are better off on benefits. There is no excuse for not working based on "loosing support which would leave the claimant in a worse financial position". By having full employment all people would only have to work a maximum 30 hours a week, leisure time would be free (as no money in the system) making facilities better and more advanced built for free by people contributing just 30 hours a week for free in exchange for free "everything". An agreement in which work would end once at 60 years old or earlier.
What about the disabled? They would contribute too, unless their disability was so severe they could not use a computer or other device. They in turn would have free access to all the help they needed and all the adaptations required for a full life.
Children would be educated instead of indoctrinated into buying stuff and breeding. The poor would be eliminated and the word poverty would be a memory of the past. The old would be looked after without worry about dwindling pensions stolen by the greedy evil rich bankers. The streets would be clean, buildings and roads maintained, technology used for the promotion of good for all, and with every one in good warm, well maintained housing, with the full benefits of a well staffed preventative health system and only fresh wholesome food available, there would be much lower disease. (fresh food because corporates would not provide all the food laced with chemical crap to make greater profits out of smaller and smaller amounts of nutrients).
Then and only then, with the abolition of money and the need for greed, will we have a corruption free world.
Go Lightly on the face of the world, but make sure that you wisdom is heard
Zee