Well except that it isn't true. As many have remarked, those things weren't funded in the past by banks, but by kings or similar autocratic rulers. Secondly, many people chipped in for free or almost free for religious reasons. Thirdly, ornate buildings are simply out of style, that's why they're not being build so often any more. Fourthly, any modern sky scraper is technologically much more advanced than those old ones (who just took a long time because of all the details), and in that sense I'd argue just as 'cool' as the old ones. And lastly, intricate ornate buildings are still being build, even if only few and between - e.g. the Sagrada Familia.