> There are plenty of areas where great work is being done.

You could say the same stuff about the historical priesthood. For ages, knowledge, and science were cultivated by priests. They were the ones that could read, write, they hand-copied books, they advised rules, helped peasants, took care of sick, poor and so an so.

Which doesn't invalidate my critique about the corruption. The mechanisms are exactly the same.

You just have to be careful not to reject all scientists. When I listen to my neighbor he rejects all climate science (because they all have an agenda) but trusts the deniers who are a very loud, very small minority. This make no sense.

Human psychology. Negative statements are given greater weight. You neighbor is happily living in the matrix and sees no need to observe reality with objective reason when the negative pundits give him regular doses of satisfying outrage to feel good about.

Straw man argument.