If this character were a man this is how he would be blackmailed

Jack know's already where I am coming from on this as we have discussed it before.

Character - Major 'Pop' Enthroning - British (retired) Military Industrialist - male?. Blackmail with the incentive of money is easy, people are greedy for power and will do anything to protect that power. This is few ways that people are blackmailed to cover up criminal activities. If any more examples are needed or case studies just let me know. Below is the first part of an explanation of why blackmail works with bankers.

The use of Blackmail

Nietzsche posed the question in his book Beyond Good and Evil

“How much truth can the spirit endure,
How much truth does a spirit dare?”

Blackmail is effective because a man’s spirit or actions are never what could be called truly pure and the blackmailer uses the guilt of sins real or imagined as a weapon of power over others.

Everyone has weaknesses the same as everyone has secrets and that makes everyone vulnerable and open to blackmail, even children. The only person who cannot be blackmailed is a person with a narcissistic personality and generally it is a narcissist who becomes the blackmailer or the planner of a blackmail threat even in a terrorist environment.

Blackmail as a tool to forward Terrorist Activities and Organised Crime

Blackmail in this sphere is a weapon of the imagination utilizing fear to its most effect,

“If I co-operate my fear will not come to pass”

With normal blackmail as in the example of kidnappings or incriminating photographs sent to families or the press it is generally the blackmailer and the victim who have direct interactions either in person or vicariously. Blackmail is an interesting and versatile form of pressure to ensure compliance, it can be short term a one off instrument of gain or it can be used for long term reward.

Blackmail used to advance a Terrorist agenda or other associated Organised Crime displays another facet that being Third Party Pressure.

1. Blackmailer

Who blackmails

2. A person in a position of power over the third party

Who then applies emotional or physical pressure over

3. The third party

This type of Third Party Pressure is the hardest of all to prosecute and many times investigate as the Blackmailer very often does not have direct contact with the Third Party carrying out the act and if the Third Party is caught or investigated on questioning they will admit the incitement is from the person who put pressure directly on them not the original blackmailer. As an interesting aside, even if people die due to an act caused by the Third Party but directly instigated by the Blackmailer, the Blackmailer will not consider that they had anything to do with the deaths, this may mean that a polygraph or other questing will show the blackmailer as innocent because they genuinely believe they are. They didn’t push the button and they did not directly tell the person who pushed the button to push that button. So they had nothing to do with the incident or deaths. It is a very firm disassociation belief held by Mirpuri’s and to a lesser extent by other Pakistani’s. That is why Planners of terrorist offences never take personal responsibility for bombings or attacks because if they weren’t holding the bomb they didn’t do it. The responsibility is taken as the act of the group or on behalf of a figurehead i.e. OBL or AQ.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/beds/bucks/herts/8251746.stm

All the below instances of blackmail have been witnessed.

Money Laundering Through Legitimate Companies

This is simple and straight forward; a Jihadist front business opens up, business A, and asks another local business, business B, next door. Business A then says for one reason or another i.e. don’t have time to go to the bank for urgently needed patty cash, they ask if business B can cash a cheque for them. Business B innocently does business A the favour and cashes the cheque. This happens more than once. Then business A claims they have run out of cheques and asks business B if they will write out a cheque to a supplier who will only accept cheques if business A gives business B the cash. By this time both business men are members of the same small business group and it is ensured by business A they are personal friends. This can carry on for up to a year until it’s time for business B to be audited or Customs and Revenue expect the Returns to be audited. Business B cannot explain some of the transactions or do not comply with Government Money Laundering Reporting Rules. That is when business A says they know of a good accountant who can help with the accounts and amend the books to help out business B. Business B can be blackmailed at any time after that.

To have and to hold by Jack Malinowski

A long time go in a country very far away, a local girl fell in love with a young driven economist. The young man became a notorious banker and continued the romance, promising to one day marry the local girl once he might a family provide. That day has finally come and the banker has rented a castle to impress the girl’s family and please his love. He has invited the entire town, 80 people, to the affair but only one friend, his best man, from his far away land. The best man is a reporter. The banker has a secret that presents a problem. He’s been caught up in some intrigue and the bad dealings, although lucrative, came at the ultimate price. He’s richer, far richer, than anybody knows, but he can’t keep the money and he’ll soon certainly be fired if not arrested. His only friend, his best man, must help him fake his own death so that he leave his old life absconding with his wife a world away from his troubles with enough money to live happily ever after. The betrothed knows nothing of the circumstances and won’t until the banker’s ‘happily ever after’ plan has been properly executed. The best man is petrified, helping his friend will solidify his career and make him o so rich, but in this day and age, it’ll never work. The castle is haunted by a blacksmith, a king, and the seamstress they fought over. The locals believe anyone who finds love within the castle will love eternally so long as no family ever resides in the castle... Let the hilarity ensue...

Putting the Love back into the story

Take this story here:

-----------------------------
http://www.wreckamovie.com/shots/show/6162
Banker's love by Timo-Heikki Mäkelä
An ambitious Banker booms forward and gets to the very top by using every chance opening to him. He dazzles with achievement, creates ingenious inventions, makes friends and makes love with everyone, until desides to change the rules "for the better" and turns them down to get forward - in his own opinion always for the best for everyone, as it initially also seems.

The Banker gets to rule the world. But only by making more promises, "selling more" of himself and borrowing for what he finally realises is impossible to get. He's lethally in love with money, power and greed, but there's no way to turn back. The only way is to continue even further, even deeper towards the inevidently closing certain catastrophe.

Being an ingenious cheater even able to cheat himself, however, the Banker manages to ensure everyone around himself time after time, that everything will just get better by following his advice and by pushing ever further, stronger and faster. And amazingly he does manage to rise from plain catastrophes again and again, and viewers really cannot tell in advance, when it'll actually be the obvious and inevitable end of story. Until it actually is, and everything lies in ruins and the Banker in shame.

As a specialty, the very end of this story could each and every time change a bit, so the spectators could never really know when and how the story ends. At the end, the Banker could save the world numerous times again and again in an intensifying atmosphere, but the number of saves could change each time and include different ideas. It could even be improvised to a degree to hide the actual end to the very last second. And there could even be options for a surprising happy end prepared, so no one really could tell in advance.

-----------------------------

...but replace the one banker with the five members of the 'elite'.
This makes the constant lying, self-cheating, etc more dramatic, and easier to play out on a stage.

THE FIVE are the status quo.
The forces attempting to rule our chaotic world.
They represent the balance of power.

They employ many ways to remain on the good side of the people. There is always somebody else to blame for the problems of society. They will give out charity in the millions. The people love them, not realizing that charity is not change.
They hire assassins, support the cause of fanatics, and set them loose on anyone not
in support of their cause (managing to twist the cause to suit the fives purposes)
The violence can never be traced back to them, save by 'crazy conspiracy theories' put out by the Heroine.

The HEROINE is the unsure future.
She represents the possible disorder. The Yin.
(not in a negative sense, order-disorder are two sides of the same coin)
She starts out as working for one of the five. Possibly a close secretary.
She thinks she is working for the greater good, but soon finds out the truth.
Being an uncorruptible soul, she decides to uncover the truth, and finds the underlying conspiracy of the synarchy.
Deciding that she is in a good position to effect change, she decides to keep her job, and using an anonymous alter-ego, Change Personified (This could be a masked homage to V). She attempts to fight the Establishment from within while trying to educate the People to fight it from without. She is crafty enough not to be caught...
Due to her position she cannot actively engage in fighting the elite, but plants enough defects into their system to form a few cracks, that she then shows to the People who are willing to listen. Mostly a propaganda role.

The Elite then latch on to the Anonymous Alter-Ego, and have a few fanatics perform violence on it's accord. Maybe they manage to manipulate the Alter-Ego for a bit.
Either way, they create an image of mistrust. "If you're against the establishment, then you're a terrorist."

This is how they manipulate the public opinion.

The YOUNG BANKER is the other side of the unsure future.
He represents the possible order. The Yang.
He starts out as an apprentice in their hierarchy. A useful pawn to accomplish the dirty work for each of them. Played to obliterate the competition (the markets, symbolized by the choir), and to thwart attempts by the other four to seize more power.
To stabilize the status quo. To increase power only for the Synarchy (the five).
He is supposed to end up as the scapegoat for all the operations, but always comes away clean...

He might be drawn to the mysterious undefinable innocence of the Heroine. He may try to win her for himself, only to be rejected for his power.

Only in the end do we realize that the Young Banker was the one pulling all the strings in the background all along. And only when he makes the choice which path to follow.
But maybe his choice has been manipulated by the chaotic element in this story
...Love

Possible Characters

EDIT: Updated Hero & Heroine

The Five (the elite), the antagonists:

These could be 'The Five' existing antagonists of the 'Young Banker'.
Depicting the various precipitations of abuse of wealth/power.
They could act both as opponents, allys, and teachers.
The Young Banker's fast rise would have caught their attention, and they would convene on what to do about it.

They have a loose agreement of non-interference with each other, that they are constantly breaking. They might try to pit the young Banker against each other, both to stop him, and to knock out the competition.

---

Job D. Roachdlischt - Argentinan Bible Salesman, Polititian
-Sells religious books, funds churches, and happily accepts bribes to change laws.
-Bass
-Stereotype: The villainous Priest

(Details TBD)
---

Major 'Pop' Enthroning - British (retired) Military Industrialist
-incites rebellions, supplies both sides
-Contralto
-Stereotype: The Witch, comic role

Major Enthroning is retired from the military, and has used her many connections to build an industrial empire. She is an old woman, that earned her nickname 'Pop' due to her relative closeness to her former troops.
---

John Vladekef Resorcinol - Russian Oil Magnate
-pricefixing, pollution, suppresses new technology
-Baritone
-Stereotype: The sometimes helpful Villain

(Details TBD)
---

Grigou Besmeurd Wrange - Dutch Banker 'The Old Banker'
-enslaves nations with debt
-Bass
-Stereotype: The villainous King

(Details TBD)
---

Karol Ablenudzh - American Stockbroker, Carreer Woman
-uses her wealth to manipulate the stock market
-Mezzo Soprano
-Stereotype: The Mother, the older Woman, the "Trouser Role"

Karol Ablenudzh is a woman who reached her position by sheer ruthlessness. Stepping over anyone in her way. In that sense, she may qualify as a better 'Witch', but as she is younger than the Major, and tries to fit into a 'mens world' (as she sees it) she'd be the better candidate for the "Trouser Role".
---

The protagonists:

'Young Banker'
-rose to power with good intentions but power corrupts
-Tenor
Stereotype: The Hero (?)

The Banker's background story goes here.
(This looks like a job for... somebody else!)
Sometimes a hero, sometimes a villain.
He stands at the crossroads:
Defeat the Five at their own game, and assume ultimate power.
Or expose the Five and their dealings, loose everything he has worked for in exchange for world peace & freedom.
---

'Heroine' - middle class worker / revolutionary
-maybe works for one of the others, maybe in a relationship/love-triangle. Works hard to bring about the fall of 'The Five' and restore power to the people.
-Soprano
-Stereotype: The Heroine

She would be supported by the choir & audience. She is the voice of the people. By day she is a worker drone, by night she is an anonymous revolutionary, organizing the awakening of the masses. She tries to point out the various levels of control to the people, so they realize how to save themselves by accepting responsibility for their own lives instead of giving up their freedom for virtual safety.
She is vilified by the elite as a danger to society, and cast into the same pot as crazies & terrorists.
---

The Neutral parties (The People):

Sung & acted by the Choir.

The people are the shapless majority. They want peace and prosperity.
They can either be antagonists (angry mob, henchmen, terrorists),
protagonists (peaceful protesters, friendly faces, helping hands),
or neutral (working, minding own business)

In my imagination the choir sings together to set the mood of the scene, but single voices will interject every once in a while commenting on what is happening. In favor, or against (symbolizing individuality). When there is a 'protest', a part of them will be the protesters, and one or two might be the henchmen (assassins, terrorists, agent-provocateurs). The protest may be swung around and become a mob.
Assassins would be a single choirmember that stops singing, and starts assembling a rifle, and then tries to take a potshot, blending back into the choir afterwards. Terrorists would be one or two members pealing out of the choir, running with sticks of 'dynamite', jumping to do their deed (landing behind/below stage, and returning to the choir.

Or something like that.

Stereotype information found in: http://www.atlantaopera.org/media/pdf/TAO_Ugly_Duckling_Education_Guide.pdf
(Useful Opera teaching guide)

Opera let loose by Laura-Maija Hero

The banker is in the cross roads: weather to choose right or wrong, end up to be the hero or devil. He weights his options and hopes, his needs and his wants. The audience is taken to his past by a back shot: suddenly we are in his childhood and we see the world with his young boys eyes. The boy encourages the opera audience to come with him (the audince stand up and goes out with him). He takes the audience around the casle, out in the dark, and he shows how he swims and palys. The audience is walking as a huge group of people and small boys is leading their way. Candles are given to everyone, and we share a mutual magic moment outside the castle. To be continued later...

An other bank story by Timo Airisto

Sign of times that so many seem to be suggesting bank themed story lines...

I would like to see a greed and subsequent fall story with a strong sarcastic tone - the whole story poking serious fun at the modern day folly that we call the international financial system.

Some characters should be almost like caricatures, comments and logic like out of Dilbert, even some power point presentations included.

The setting could be a fat cat bankers annual party at his humble private residence (The Olavi Castle) and the opera audience his quests. Would be nice to see an interactive element (with the audience) in the performance as there is one in the creation of the opera.

I leave the details to the real writers :)

New tasks

Hello writers!
The operatives are eagerly waiting for new comments and ideas here at the new tasks! You can still brainstorm freely. The questions are made to help you on your way creating an opera. After all it’s an opera by you! Your libretist will be checking for new comments on Monday and give you more help.
Keep up the good spirit!
Iida

Iceland by Tatu Siltanen

A tale of hubris and nemesis. The setting: modern Iceland, the land of fire and ice.

The story of a man with a heart of ice: a banker who coolly masterminds schemes for other people's demise. He gathers immense wealth and power and plans to enslave all people as mere numbers in his all-encompassing calculation.

But he faces the forces of nature, madness and fate.

He struggles to finish a numerical description of the world, but the world refuses to yield to him.

A ghost from the past appears in the form of a former lover whom he has thrown into madness. First he denies the truth but then he understands that his calculations fail because of a missing factor: it is others who pay the price for his actions.

As old wounds burst open, volcanic lava bursts onto the stage. As hellfire burns him and his only love, he suffers the pain he has given others. The fire burns, the dreams turn to dust and ashes. In the end, a cloud of ash buries everything.

Or something like that...

Banker's love by Timo-Heikki Mäkelä

An ambitious Banker booms forward and gets to the very top by using every chance opening to him. He dazzles with achievement, creates ingenious inventions, makes friends and makes love with everyone, until desides to change the rules "for the better" and turns them down to get forward - in his own opinion always for the best for everyone, as it initially also seems.

The Banker gets to rule the world. But only by making more promises, "selling more" of himself and borrowing for what he finally realises is impossible to get. He's lethally in love with money, power and greed, but there's no way to turn back. The only way is to continue even further, even deeper towards the inevidently closing certain catastrophe.

Being an ingenious cheater even able to cheat himself, however, the Banker manages to ensure everyone around himself time after time, that everything will just get better by following his advice and by pushing ever further, stronger and faster. And amazingly he does manage to rise from plain catastrophes again and again, and viewers really cannot tell in advance, when it'll actually be the obvious and inevitable end of story. Until it actually is, and everything lies in ruins and the Banker in shame.

As a specialty, the very end of this story could each and every time change a bit, so the spectators could never really know when and how the story ends. At the end, the Banker could save the world numerous times again and again in an intensifying atmosphere, but the number of saves could change each time and include different ideas. It could even be improvised to a degree to hide the actual end to the very last second. And there could even be options for a surprising happy end prepared, so no one really could tell in advance.