The problem of living in a society with a top down hierarchical structure is if the folk at the top don't give a fuck about the rest of society then it only works for them. Compound that with having an economic system that we serve, rather than it serving us, with the basic "greed is good" philosophy and our inability to have honest conversations about any of it, then to be honest nothing short sighted or short term selfish people do surprises me at all.