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I wonder where you all live, because it is important in order to know whether you are right or just paranoid. There are countries where public money is really well controlled and, unlike decades ago, corrupts (the exception) end in jail.
For example, cases like Norway are paradigmatic: Norwegians don't only happily pay more than half of their salary in taxes (and happily because they do know that the money will be well used), but in cases like the 2008 crash, instead of rescuing the banks with public money, corrupt bankers went to jail, too.
I think that Europe is moving in this line, too (although the landscape varies a lot from country to country). But, for the rest of the world, you may be right, unfortunately.
But not in other countries where corruption can still move freely and get "deposits" from cases to use for their interests.
It is not surprising that this happens in developed countries where there is a high awareness of paying taxes because the government can use its taxes correctly and well to improve the welfare of its people.
And it can save the country from a crisis that may have hit neighboring countries so that it can still survive the crisis and even rise again.
If developing countries can really use their tax money properly and correctly, their country can progress.
With that tax money, they can develop the potential in their country, including improving the welfare of their people to improve the economy.