Ridiculous yachts and private planes and big limousines won't make people enjoy life more and it sends out terrible messages to the people who work for them. It would be so much better if that money was spent in Africa - and it's about getting a balance.
In the military I could exercise the power of being automatically respected because of the medals on my chest not because I had done anything right at the moment to earn that respect. This is pretty nice. It's also a psychological trap that can stop one's growth and allow one to get away with just plain bad behavior.