it was ever thus
It has always been this way; this has always been the truth. Sometimes stylized as "'twas ever thus." We should be disappointed to learn our political leaders are so deep in the pockets of corporations, but we should not be surprised. It was ever thus. Twas ever thus, unfortunately: the higher you are in the economic and social hierarchies, the more you depend on the exploitation of lower-class workers.
it was ever thus (or so)
used as a humorous way of suggesting that despite claims of things having been better in the past nothing much alters. informal 1998 Bookseller Curious and surprising (to say the least) and depressing things happen. But it was ever so.