What exactly is the point?

In any event the means of the extravagant rentier diminish daily in inverse proportion to the growing possibilities and temptations of pleasure. He must, therefore, either consume his capital himself, and in so doing bring about his own ruin, or become an industrial capitalist.

That being said HEI has more of an OMG than an "Aha! quality."

Finally what exactly is "...the basic arithmetic necessary to do the comparison." ?