Brannon

"For the people, we must implement progressive participation fees to ensure democratic economic engagement."

the ideological enabler

Age: 45
Occupation: Chief Economic Strategist/Finance Minister
Background: Lawyer masquerading as economist
Current Status: Implementing Concordance economic policies
Career Path: Education Secretary → Mayor → Finance Minister

academic scandal

Brannon's career rests on stolen intellectual foundation. He built his reputation by plagiarizing Dr. Robert Sterling's graduate thesis on economic manipulation vulnerabilities - ironically, the very work that warned about the economic chaos Brannon now creates through misguided policies.

The theft gave him unearned credibility as an economic thinker, but he learned nothing from the warnings contained in Sterling's research. Instead, he uses populist rhetoric to implement exactly the vulnerabilities Sterling had identified.

character psychology

Brannon represents the dangerous combination of ideological certainty with economic ignorance. He genuinely believes government should control all aspects of economic behavior, viewing individual financial decisions as threats to collective prosperity.

His core personality reveals systematic blind spots:

"The people should not worry about the increased taxes. The taxes are not for the people, but rather for the corporations to pay."

"The riches lie to the poor that they should be elected because since they are already rich, they will not steal from the people. That is a false statement, since, in order to get rich, they already stole from the poor."

Core Traits:

• Arrogantly Ignorant: Dismisses basic economic principles like the Laffer Curve
• Revenue Obsessed: Measures success purely by government income increases
• Anti-Expertise: Rejects technical warnings as threats to democratic authority

populist rhetoric

Brannon masters the art of presenting authoritarian control as democratic liberation. His signature phrase "For the people" precedes every policy that restricts individual freedom while expanding state power.

"They say we have unconventional plans, but so be it. We need to tear the old economy books."

"Technicians are not supposed to influence government policy. Only elected officials can determine government policy, not technicians."

destructive economic policies

Brannon's ideological approach creates systematic economic damage:

• Transaction Tax Escalation: Starts at 0.3%, escalates toward 3.8%
• Corporate Payroll Taxes: Implemented during crisis when jobs are most needed
• Financial Surveillance: Comprehensive monitoring disguised as "fairness"
• Progressive Punishment: Higher rates designed to punish success

His dismissal of "technician interference" becomes particularly dangerous when experts like Sterling attempt to warn about cryptocurrency manipulation.

political relationships

With Octavius: Brannon exploits the president's alcohol dependency, timing crucial policy presentations during compromised evening sessions. He provides pseudo-intellectual framework while Octavius provides political authority.

With Sterling: Deep personal animosity stemming from the plagiarized thesis. Brannon cannot admit the man whose work he stole might be right about economic warnings.

the bootstrap paradox

Brannon's attempts to control financial speculation create perfect conditions for the manipulation he claims to prevent. Every "solution" amplifies the original problem, making him the unwitting architect of economic warfare while believing he's protecting citizens.

His progressive transaction taxes drive citizens into unregulated cryptocurrency markets, creating ideal conditions for systematic exploitation.

looking ahead

Brannon represents the ideological enabler who creates chaos while believing he's creating order. His stolen academic credentials, economic ignorance, and authoritarian instincts make him the perfect vehicle for policies that benefit hostile forces while appearing to serve "the people."

The man who built his career on warnings about economic manipulation now implements the exact vulnerabilities those warnings predicted.