Thenihilist, it's not your faith in humanity that should dwindle, it should be your faith in (and blind loyalty to) the empire that dissipates with every sick new revelation.
Normal people do good and bad every day. These men who run the game do and command evil every day in order to stay at the top forever. Manipulation through the media, scapegoats to take blame for things the higher ups have done, bullying contries with threats of apocalyptic war when you don't get your way... telling the people of the UK that 10 years, 400+ British lives and £20 billion have been spent in Afghanistan to "Improve the lives of the local people.." ... : | you must be mad if you buy that. Maybe vast amounts of gold, lithium, assorted other minerals and control of the world's heroin (the Chinese do love to chase that dragon eh?) might add up to being worth more than the 10 years, 400+ British lives and £20 billion... you decide!