Why are Politicians despised?

Some would even say hated. Given the endless reports of diminishing trust in policitians one might well think that there is something wrong with society. Maybe it lacks moral standards and this causes people to have less and less respect for their 'leaders'. But considering David Miliband's salary of US$ 600,000 as CEO or the International Rescue Committee (Charity!) there is no doubt where the blame lies! Given that every penny he gets too much is coming (literally) out of the pocket of the poor he is supposed to help this is a demonstration that there is an enormous swamp that waits to be drained - and only Direct Democracy has any chance to ever get on top of these abuses.