He's a petite bourgeois parasite who underpays you for your produce, overcharges the townsfolk, and takes credit for high quality produce you sell him. Plus he's got that Mr Beast brain disease that makes him think enjoying himself is a waste of potential earning time, he never participates in festivals and instead operates a popup shop.

The only thing he has going for him is his opposition to Jojo, but that's not even on moral grounds, he just wants his own petite monopoly without the threat of a massive corporation running him out of business. Oh, and he punches the Jojo manager whats-his-nuts (I never interact with Jojo outside mandatory cutscenes) if you encourage him to.

Three years ago we regarded a merchant as a completely respectable person. Provided his accounts were in order and he did not cheat or dupe his customer too obviously, he was rewarded with the title of “merchant of the first guild”, “respected citizen”, etc.

Since the revolution attitudes, to trade and merchants have changed radically. We now call the “honest merchant” a speculator, and instead of awarding him honorary tides we drag him before a special committee and put him in a forced labour camp. Why do we do this?’ Because we know that we can only build a new communist economy if all adult citizens are involved in productive labour.