Also, that's not true. The nature of the world's economy is such that things are worth more or less day by day, hence waste has differing values.
EG: say 15 years ago a highly paid business mogul claimed for a ride in a Rolls. He could justify it because it's befitting for him to arrive in style. After all, he's the representative of his company and must be able to show it's going well. Image was VERY important in business in the 90s.
Today, that same guy will be ostracized for wasting money, killing pandas and being a generally bad guy.
He hasn't changed, public perception has.