Wealth Creating Wealth

Wealth Creating Wealth

Is China’s autocracy just a state-level version of British primogeniture? I asked Gemini AI if China is replicating the 'wealth-creating-wealth' principle by centralizing capital at the top to fuel its global expansion—much like the British elite once did to power the Industrial Revolution. Here’s what I found about how empires concentrate power to conquer markets.

That is a fascinating, if slightly complex, historical comparison. You’re essentially looking at how different systems "concentrate" capital to drive massive economic shifts—the British via Primogeniture and the Chinese via State Capitalism.

While there are parallels in the result (concentrated wealth used for global expansion), the underlying mechanics and the "why" are quite different.

The British Model: Primogeniture & Private Capital

In the British Empire, the "wealth-creating-wealth" principle was heavily tied to the legal practice of primogeniture (the eldest son inheriting the entire estate).

• The "Push" Factor: Because younger sons inherited nothing, they were forced into the military, the clergy, or overseas trade. This created a steady stream of ambitious, educated men seeking fortunes in the colonies.
  
  
• Industrial Fuel: By keeping estates intact rather than fragmenting them among many heirs, the British aristocracy maintained massive pools of capital. This capital was often reinvested into the infrastructure of the Industrial Revolution, like canals and railways.
  
  
• The Goal: Preservation of family lineage and private class status.

The Chinese Model: Autocracy & State Capital

In modern China, the "eldest son" isn't a person; it is the State-Owned Enterprise (SOE) and the Communist Party's strategic apparatus.

• The "Pull" Factor: The state centralizes wealth through land ownership, banking control, and taxation. It then directs that wealth toward "overseas opportunities" (like the Belt and Road Initiative) not because of inheritance laws, but as a matter of national geopolitical strategy.
  
  
• Industrial Revolution 2.0: While the British relied on private landed wealth, China uses the "All-of-Nation" system. The autocracy acts as the ultimate venture capitalist, subsidizing high-tech industries (EVs, AI, Green Tech) to dominate global markets.
  
  
• The Goal: National rejuvenation, regime stability, and global influence.

Comparison at a Glance

Feature	British Empire (18th/19th C)	Modern China
Concentration Mechanism	Primogeniture (Legal/Family)	State Capitalism (Political/Systemic)
Primary Actors	Aristocrats & Merchant Adventurers	State-Owned Enterprises & "National Champions"
Overseas Strategy	Colonialism & Private Trade	Infrastructure Loans & Market Integration
Wealth Source	Land Rents & Early Industry	Manufacturing, Tech, & State Finance

The "Wealth-Creating-Wealth" Nuance

You hit on a sharp point: both systems recognize that fragmented wealth is hard to weaponize. However, a key difference is that British wealth was largely bottom-up and private (protected by the rule of law against the King), whereas Chinese wealth is top-down and contingent (the state can reclaim or redirect private wealth, as seen with the recent crackdowns on tech billionaires).

In China, wealth isn't just about inheritance; it’s about alignment. If a "wealth creator" falls out of step with the autocracy, the wealth-creating engine is handed to a more compliant "son."

Here is a concise, one-page comparison of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) and the British East India Company (EIC), designed to fit seamlessly into your blog post.

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The New Architecture of Empire: EIC vs. BRI

While separated by centuries, the British East India Company and China’s Belt and Road Initiative share a singular DNA: the use of massive, concentrated capital to build the "plumbing" of global trade. However, where the British used private monopoly, China uses state autocracy.

1. Risk: Stockholders vs. Sovereign Debt

The British model relied on private risk. The EIC was a joint-stock company funded by the "eldest sons" and aristocrats of London. If a voyage failed, the investors lost their shirts. China’s model relies on sovereign risk. The BRI is funded by state-owned banks lending to foreign governments. If a project fails, the host country is left with the debt, often giving China long-term leverage over strategic assets—a modern twist on colonial control.

2. Control: Fortified Factories vs. Strategic Ports

The EIC established "factories"—fortified trading hubs like Calcutta and Bombay—which served as legal and military bubbles within foreign lands. China secures "Port Diplomacy." Through 99-year leases (like Sri Lanka’s Hambantota) or majority stakes in hubs (like Greece’s Piraeus), China creates a "string of pearls." These aren't military colonies, but they ensure that the "on-off switch" for global maritime trade is held in Beijing.

3. The Goal: Commodity Arbitrage vs. Systemic Integration

The British were masters of arbitrage: buying spices or tea low and selling high. Their wealth came from the goods themselves. China is playing for integration. By building the rail gauges, 5G networks, and digital payment systems for developing nations, they aren't just trading goods; they are setting the standards. Once a nation’s infrastructure is "Made in China," that nation is effectively locked into the Chinese economic ecosystem for generations.

The takeaway: The British Empire was built by private adventurers seeking to become legends; the Chinese "Empire" is being built by an autocracy seeking to become the global operating system.

The Crisis in California

 The Crisis in California: A Summary of Systematic Decline

Given the ongoing deterioration of California, it is truly astonishing that the underlying causes of these issues remain misunderstood by so many—especially as voters continue to support politicians whose policies actively erode the standard of living.

​Key Issues at Play

• Fiscal Policy and Resource Allocation: The current administration prioritizes a redistributive agenda that focuses on spreading existing wealth rather than fostering new growth. For instance, billions are allocated to providing healthcare, education, and social services to undocumented immigrants without first establishing the necessary infrastructure. This expansion of coverage, without a proportional increase in the number of medical professionals, has led to a strained healthcare system characterized by excessively long wait times to see specialists, often delaying critical care for all residents.

• High Taxes & Regulations: California maintains the highest tax burden in the nation. This regulatory environment is a primary driver of business dissatisfaction, forcing many companies to relocate to more business-friendly states. This is compounded by the fact that California has the second-highest gasoline tax in the country.

• The Cost-of-Living Crisis: California faces a severe cost-of-living crisis that fuels interconnected problems such as homelessness, housing shortages, and high poverty. Despite boasting one of the world’s largest economies, the state suffers from some of the highest cost-adjusted poverty and income inequality rates in the U.S.

• Budgetary Instability: Following a period of massive surpluses, the state is now grappling with a projected multi-billion dollar budget deficit for 2026—estimated between $18 billion and $20 billion—stemming largely from declining tax revenues.

• Job Market & Unemployment: California consistently reports one of the highest unemployment rates in the nation, trailing behind the national recovery average.

• Public Safety: Residents frequently cite rising crime as a top concern, specifically noting high rates of retail theft and persistent issues with violent crime.

• Infrastructure & Environment: * Energy: The state has some of the highest utility costs in the country, coupled with an unreliable energy grid during peak demand.

  • Water & Fire: Long-term concerns over water management and drought reliability persist, alongside increasingly severe wildfire risks.

• Education: The K-12 public school system often ranks poorly in national comparisons, with persistent achievement gaps that fail to prepare the next generation.
  
  

​Conclusion

These issues are deeply interrelated; prohibitive housing costs and poverty drive both the homelessness crisis and the ongoing exodus of residents to other states.

Stephen Hawkin Passing

After hearing about Stephen Hawkin's passing, I looked up his astrology birth chart to view any relationship to ALS and the consensus seems to be Mars quincunx Neptune, which he had. (Note; a quincunx is an aspect of 150°, also known as an inconjunct).

Further research tends to indicate that it's not just Mars quincunx another planet that might suggest a medical challenge, but several other factors. These tend to include the ascendant and Saturn either conjunct or in stress aspect.

There is no stated time of birth for Stephen Hawkin, but placing Saturn close to the ascendant, his early years would have been challenging and there is no indication of this. However, if Saturn was in 12th house (late) that would place Uranus (scientific), Lilith (perception) and Jupiter (optimism) all in the first house. Jupiter in the first is extremely optimistic--hence his drive to go on even with ALS. The time of birth for this would be around 1:36 PM on January 8th, 1942.

Stephen Hawkin also had Mars square Mercury which is a significant effect as Mercury is the planet of connections, (the bodily relationship between nervous and neurological activities). There was also a significant number of trines, and grand trines, depending on the number of bodies that are used. He also had the Sun quincunx Chiron, and Venus quincunx North Node, although somewhat wide at 4 degrees. Venus is also square Saturn! (Multiple marriages to younger women?)

On a personal level, I have Mars inconjunct Uranus which may account for my secondary adrenal insufficiency. However, my unidentical twin brother born an hour later at 11:33 pm does not appear to have this problem. His Saturn/Pluto is in the 12th, while mine is in the first close to the Ascendant so Saturn is obviously another factor contributing to this condition.

John F. Kennedy had Mars square Uranus and Saturn (wide) square to the ascendant. He also had Primary Adrenal Insufficiency in the form of Addisons Disease. In addition, Mars and Mercury are both quincunx the ascendant.

In my case the adrenal issues may have been caused by an operation to repair a hiatus hernia (from birth) in which they opened up my front, damaging the Vagus Nerve which mediates numerous pathways including the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (stimulated by vagal afferent fibres) leading to the release of cortisol by the adrenal glands. In addition, I was also overdosed with cortisone acetate when I was first diagnosed with this in my forties. I also have a Sun/Jupiter conjunction square to the ascendant/Saturn.

Mars seems to have a significant influence on various areas of the body such as muscles and the adrenal system. This together with Saturn and the ascendant also contributes a crucial role for specific ailments. Perhaps the inconjunct can reveal a more esoteric or rare medical condition, while squares and oppositions, more common conditions. However, as is often the case with special conditions, several factors have to come together to form a unique state.

Coyotes, Cats and Rats

There is a notion held by many municipal animal control services that eradication of the urban coyote is not effective because such control measures provide a natural vacuum in nature that can cause these animals to have even larger litters and ultimately increases the coyote population. In my opinion this is a crock. It's a meme perpetrated by certain nature propagandists who are not looking at the big picture. Because there are no natural predators for the [urban] coyote, they will expand according to their food source. Constant action in the eradication/displacement of any one of these pests can mean that fewer pets and young children will be killed or injured. Because there is already a vacuum in nature doesn't mean we shouldn't interfere. If we let coyotes run amok they kill too many cats, resulting in a plague of rats, squirrels and rabbits running around. Cats are natural hunters of vermin. Many rescue cats don't often make good indoor pets, and most indoor cats can become schizophrenic if they are denied their natural instincts. Nature propagandists should focus more on human birth control if they are that concerned about our invasion of nature's habitat, or at the very least, initiate programs teaching coyotes taste and place aversion therapy.

One area I do agree with is that using poisons to kill rats is not a good idea. Poisoned rats harm the entire ecosystem, often killing birds of prey, domestic animals, and other wildlife.

Coyotes are predators of rats, if they can catch them! Over sized bushes and excessive foliage make a great place for rodents to hide and live. Keeping bushes and ground cover well-maintained and pruned back will help keep unwanted visitors from residing in a yard. My neighborhood has a proliferation of creeping fig vines covering property walls and fences, which can be a haven for rodents if they are too thick and dense. In addition, these vines often damage block walls, which have hollow cavities. Coyotes can't catch rats if they are safe deep inside a bush or atop of a palm tree. Cats on the other hand have superior skills for catching rodents, no matter where they hide.

Improperly stored pet food, garbage, or anything else that might smell like a great meal to a rodent will cause problems. Eliminating strong smells by placing the source in quality containers within inaccessible areas is recommended. Wrapping fruit trees with plastic netting can prevent rodents from climbing up and getting a free meal.

Rats are excellent climbers and can scale a wall very easily. They will search for entryways into attics and other places up near roofs. It is easier for them if they have tree limbs that provide direct access. Gaps and cracks around the home provide opportunities for rodents to become squatters. One should close and reduce all entry points for rodents and focus attention around heating and air conditioner vents, dryer vents, windows, plumbing, and doors.

The more clutter you have around in the yard and garage, the more likely it is that a longer time will pass before you find signs of infestation. Ultimately, judicial pruning of landscape, living in a clutter-free home and being an attentive to infestation will be the best approach to keeping unwanted critters away.

Top 100 Songs of the 50's and 60's

This is my personal choice, in no particular order, and does vary a bit:

Artist	Title	Year
Aphrodites Child	Rain and Tears	1967
Marv Johnson	I'll Pick A Rose For My Rose	1968
R. B. Greaves	Take A Letter Maria	1969
Manfred Mann	Pretty Flamingo	1966
The Bee Gees	Words	1969
Crispian St Peters	The Pied Piper	1966
Brian Hyland	Ginny Come Lately	1962
Ricky Nelson	Travelin' Man	1961
Elvis Presley	G.I. Blues	1960
The Shadows	Quartermaster Stores	1960
The Crystals	Da Doo Ron Ron	1963
Ray Peterson	Corinna, Corinna	1960
Johnny Burnette	Dreamin	1960
Johnny Tillotson	Poetry In Motion	1960
Simon & Garfunkel	Bridge Over Troubled Water	1968
Fats Domino	Walking To New Orleans	1958
The Dave Clark Five	Red Balloon	1969
Them	Here Comes the Night	1965
Cascades	Rhythm of the Falling Rain	1960
The Rolling Stones	She's A Rainbow	1967
The Crystals	All Grown Up	1964
Elvis Presley	Can't Help Falling in Love	1959
Lord Rockingham's XI	Hoots Mon	1958
Elvis Presley	Did You Ever Have One Of Those Days	1960
The Everly Brothers	All I Have to Do Is Dream	1964
Lou Christie	I'm Gonna Make You Mine	1969
The Everly Brothers	Love Hurts	1960
Bread	Everything I Own	1968
Unit Four Plus Two	Concrete And Clay	1965
Johnny Tillotson	It Keeps Right On A Hurtin	1956
Nancy Sinatra and Lee Hazlewood	Summer Wine	1967
The Crystals	Then He Kissed Me	1963
The Browns	Scarlet Ribbons	1960
The Rolling Stones	As Tears Go By	1968
The Ronettes	Baby I Love You	1964
Elvis Presley	Wooden Heart	1960
The Springfields	Island of Dreams	1963
Johnny and the Hurricanes	Red River Rock	1959
Eddie Cochran	C'mon Everybody	1962
The Everly Brothers	Crying in the Rain	1964
Ritchie Valens	Come On, Let's Go	1958
The Box Tops	Cry Like A Baby	1966
ELO	Roll Over Beethoven	1968
Keith West	Excerpt From a Teenage Opera	1967
Lee Marvin	Wandering Star	1969
Elvis Presley	His Latest Flame	1959
The Who	I Can See For Miles	1967
The Drifters	Saturday Night at the Movies	1964
The Love Affair	Everlasting Love	1967
Ricky Nelson	It's Late	1969
Eddie Cochran	Summertime Blues	1960
Elvis Presley	It's Now or Never	1959
The Bee Gees	I've Gotta Get a Message to You	1968
Marianne Faithfull	Come and Stay With Me	1968
Paul Anka	Lonely Boy	1959
The Bee Gees	Massachusetts	1968
Ricky Nelson	Poor Little Fool	1958
Ike & Tina Turner - River Deep Mountain High	River Deep Mountain High	1966
Dion	Runaround Sue	1960
Del Shannon	Runaway	1961
The Who	Substitute	1966
Elvis Presley	The Girl Of My Best Friend	1960
Tommy Roe	Sweet Little Sheila	1962
Ricky Nelson	Hello Mary Lou	1961
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons	Tell It To The Rain	1964
The Seekers	The Carnival Is Over	1965
The Hollies	The Air that I Breathe	1969
Del Shannon	The Swiss Maid	1962
Presidents of the United States of America	Video Killed the Radio Star	1968
Simon & Garfunkel	The Boxer	1968
The Equals	Baby Come Back	1968
Billy Fury	Halfway to Paradise	1961
The Bee Gees	To Love Somebody	1967
Bobby Darin	Queen Of The Hop	1958
Paul Anka	Diana	1957
Johnny Kidd and the Pirates	Shakin' All Over	1960
Gordon Lightfoot	Early Morning Rain	1960
Del Shannon	Keep Searchin'	1964
Jackie DeShannon	Put A Little Love In Your Heart	1969
Gary Puckett And The Union Gap	Lady Willpower	1968
Bobby Vinton	Mr Lonely	1962
Billy Fury	Colette	1960
Buddy Holly	Peggy Sue Got Married	1957
Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons	Silence Is Golden	1966
Eddie Cochran	Somethin' Else	1963
Eden Kane	Boys Cry	1964
Elvis Presley	I Gotta Know	1960
Gene Vincent	Pistol Packin' Mama	1960
John Leyton	Johnny Remember Me	1961
Richie Valens	Oh Donna	1959
Marty Wilde	Bad Boy	1959
Ricky Nelson	Never Be Anyone Else But You	1960
The Righteous Brothers	Unchained Melody	1960
R Dean Taylor	Indiana Wants Me	1962
Bobby Darin	Dream Lover	1960
Oliver	Jean	1969
Sandy Posey	I Take It Back	1967
Freddie and the Dreamers	I Understand	1965
Gene Pitney	Cara Mia	1967
Gene Pitney	Twenty-Four Hours from Tulsa	1969

Can We Vote for REAL Change?

Someone directed me to a site put up by Naomi Klein. My initial reaction was that she seems to have a limited focus for much of her rather pessimistic views. For example, rather than simply blame Wall Street for the present financial woes (which is what liberals like to do, focus on a single individual or entity and demonize them), one should understand the greater picture of the financial crisis.
I would like to mention that I'm really open to any view, be it left, right or center, providing that the facts, logic, and intuitive awareness is reasonably in place. My opinions here, about the present financial crisis, reflect only a small proportion of the overall problem.
About every 10 years we enter a down cycle economically, and you can see this happen around the turn of every decade. The present downturn however, is much more extreme, and the rather long lasting Saturn/Uranus opposition will create a very erratic economic situation over the next few years. One moment we experience some stability and the next all hell breaks loose. Thus, the Saturn/Uranus opposition is simply attempting to give us a wild ride correction, but our actions will dictate the long-term effect.
There are a number of factors coming together in recent years aside from the financial problems. Things like the oil crisis, an over burdened activity with wars in the middle east, the shift of manufacturing overseas without a productive investment in our workforce, and a crisis in education where a lot of young people are more interested in I-Pods and sneakers than learning anything.
The present financial crisis is not just the result of one party as the Democrats or Republicans have controlled the White House and Congress. The credit mess has been brewing for over 15 years, with Banks and Financial institutions being too liberal with giving credit. Real Estate agents have been too keen to make a sale to naive homebuyers--some of whom bought property way above their means. Home prices have continually risen even during the last recession around 2000 creating an extreme bubble.

The Democrats in Washington coerced lending institutions to give loans to low income people, and the two main democrats responsible for finance committees in Washington, Chris Dodd and Barney Franks (both Democrats), were apparently given millions of dollars by banks and Finance institutions during their elections. Government is far more corrupt than most corporations, and I for one won't vote for a Democrat or Republican in the next election (most likely is Libertarian).
Just watching a snippet of the congressional hearings where the Fed Chairman and Treasury Secretary were being grilled by congress, it was blatantly obvious that house members knew nothing about finance and could not even understand what they were being told.
It seems that the government does not have a choice but to bail out these financial institutions. Yet the way it has been done by Congress is absolutely disgusting and unless there is some serious asset control in the manner in which this bailout is used, I fear for the stability of the economy. I won't go into the hundreds of pages of pork in this bailout bill that morally should not have been included (only about $130 billion in so-called sweeteners).
To make a point, we should go after the CEO's, Finance executives, politicians, realtors and traders who are responsible for this mess and prosecute them. Trouble is, there might not be anyone left to run these institutions!
In spite of all these unfortunate events, we have to remain optimistic to work our way out of the present crisis.

The Illusions of Neptune

Being married to a Pisces, and observing a number of friends (that term may just qualify for being plural!), I’ve seen how the effects of this strange planet can influence people in obscure ways.
At its highest level, Neptune can provide an awareness of one's spiritual and social ideals. It can also invoke imagination, spirituality, compassion, subtlety, clairvoyance, empathy and devotion. The problematic side of this body can reveal dreaminess, deception, shyness, diffusion, and escaping reality by living in other worlds.
As Neptune rules Pisces, there is often a strong association with a person being passive, evading responsibility or conflict. However, if Mars or Pluto has a strong presence in a person’s chart, such passivity can be overruled. However, if Mars is in Pisces or aspects Neptune, Neptune tends to diffuse the aggressive energies of Mars. Under stress, Mars/Neptune individuals can become victims to a controlling person. There may also be unusual sexual preferences.
One of the saddest effects of Neptune can be in the area of romance. It can create romantic ideals, and illusions of love that bring couples together only to find out much later that the relationship is a disaster.
So, wherever Neptune is in your chart, it is important that we develop the spiritual side of ourselves, and dissolve the vein of illusion that this body can create in order to see reality as it truly is.
This weeks video is Farley’s appearance on The Late Show