Big fish protect the small fish

The Ruling Elite are usually associated with ‘big’ organisations (the ‘big fish’), but they also secretly create and/or protect ‘small fish’ who can be just as successful and influential as the bigger fish. This creates the illusion that the ‘little guy’ can win, and that the world is not exclusively controlled by the ‘big guys’, i.e. no grand conspiracies. By shifting power and wealth from the big fish to the small fish, it makes it harder to spot the real power holders. Here are some examples:-

1) TAX HAVENS
The big fish often exploit tax havens. Although not all tax havens are small, there are a lot of small ones that retained their independence despite a history of big countries swallowing up smaller ones. Examples:- The Vatican; Monaco; Jersey; Luxembourg; Cayman Islands; Mauritius; Isle of Man; Liechtenstein; Malta.

2) THE BRITISH EMPIRE
All empires begin as upstart countries/organisations that rebel against the dominant powerhouse. England rebelled against the mighty Catholic church.

3) MICROSOFT
The upstart computer software company that seemingly betrayed its’ employer – the dominant computer company IBM – to take control/ownership of software initially meant for IBM.

4) CHRISTIANITY
The Roman empire eventually embraced this minor rebellious religion, giving birth to the ultimately dominant Catholic church.

5) JEWISH BANKERS
How did a historically persecuted minority gain protected status from the mighty Catholic church? For many years Jewish bankers were often the only bankers in Christendom who were allowed to charge interest rates on loans (Usury), in part because their religion allowed them to charge interest to non-Jews (but not fellow Jews). In the 19th century there was the controversial ROTHSCHILD loans to the Holy See: a series of major financial loans arranged between the Jewish Rothschild banking family and the Holy See of the Catholic Church. The first occurred in 1832. A second loan occurred in the early 1850s.

6) PROTESTANTS
Christian Protestants protested against the Catholic Church, eventually splitting from the Catholic Church. Protestants (and their offshoots) helped propel the industrial revolution and the rise of capitalism.

7) USA
Britain’s former colony rebelled against the world’s superpower, eventually becoming a superpower itself.

8) FREE PORTS
A free port (sometimes called a ‘free trade zone’ or ‘special economic zone’) is normally an area of a country where its taxes and tariffs do not apply. So you can import goods, store them and re-export them without bothering the tax collectors. Examples:- SHENZHEN (China); SHANNON AIRPORT (Ireland); SINGAPORE; GENEVA (Switzerland); SOUTHAMPTON (England); LIVERPOOL (England); HONG KONG.

9) HONG KONG
A free port and small former British colony in China that helped Britain get a foothold in the Far East (So did Singapore, also a free port). Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997, but retained some independence as a special administrative region. Hong Kong maintained separate governing and economic systems from that of mainland China under the principle of “one country, two systems”.

Hong Kong has a capitalist mixed service economy, characterised by low taxation, minimal government market intervention, and an established international financial market. It was the world’s 35th-largest economy (2019).

Hong Kong became one of the world’s most significant financial centres and commercial ports. In 2019 it was the world’s tenth-largest exporter and ninth-largest importer, and its legal tender (the Hong Kong dollar) was the world’s 9th-most traded currency. Hong Kong hosted the largest concentration of ultra-high net worth individuals of any city in the world.

Chinese national law in the early 21st century did not generally apply in the region and Hong Kong was treated as a separate jurisdiction. Its judicial system was based on common law, continuing the legal tradition established during British rule. Local courts may refer to precedents set in English law and overseas jurisprudence.

The Chinese central government and Ministry of Foreign Affairs handled diplomatic matters, but Hong Kong retained the ability to maintain separate economic and cultural relations with foreign nations. The territory actively participated in the WTO (World Trade Organization); the APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) forum; the IOC (International Olympic Committee); and many United Nations agencies. The regional government maintained trade offices in Greater China and other nations.

Hong Kong has been a gateway for foreign direct investment in China, giving investors open access to mainland Chinese markets through direct links with the Shanghai and Shenzhen stock exchanges (Both those Chinese cities are free ports).