There are a lot of assumptions in that general observation, right?

Not just that you need experience in order to deal with these unsavoury/dishonest/crook characters.

But that you even need to deal/compromise with them at all, that doing so would lead to a better outcome ...etc.

And also not to mix up the other meaning of "dealing with".

The biggest thing that the Student movement rallied around was dealing with previous government and various public and private sector corruption that it instigated/facilitated - in the bringing them to justice/rule of law sense.