Anyone who've used a search engine disagrees with you. And as far as Google goes, their only "gripe" with SEO/Spammers is that they get the money instead of Google.

So yes, Google does work to stay ahead of SEO spammers by providing a better service than them for those who are willing to pay, because the consumers don't care and as long as you don't get Viagra commercial and 17 types of malware by clicking on a promoted search result in Google neither will you.