Everything that has happened to US politics since 2016 refutes that premise.
I believe in most ways you are correct, but in REAL life: it's complicated. Crime does often pay. Cheaters sometimes win. Known liars can gain cultlike followers.
But it looks like a lot of people aren't seeking the truth. In other words: "I lied to you and what will you do about it?" You might stop believing the lying person, but that means others can still make him rich.
