When analyzing the threats in and around the ecosystems inhabited by nihilistic violent extremist, an initial assessment needs to be made: does this appear to be primarily driven by doctrine and ideology or is it primarily being driven by aesthetics, subcultural norms and trauma?

Recently, 'newgens' in The Com Network have been branding their groups using historical terrorist brands like Atomwaffen Division, The Base, ISIS, AQ, and even O9A nexions and devices to rapidly gain notoriety. The co-opting of these brands can be a trap for analysts.

Further, NVE actors are not primarily driven by doctrine, rather they are driven by aesthetics, (sub)cultural spaces, and the race for social capital in an attention economy. Assessments are further complicated by the inherent edgelord humor and trolling behaviours common in the edgesphere.

It is a challenge to assess NVE actors in a threat space that is hybridized and where the harms are hybridized. Further, we must come to terms with the reality that NVE milieus are victim driven (rather than perpetrator driven). This necessitates a shift in our analytical framework and mindset.

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This feels like me telling my kids not to eat candyband follow the rules as i eat candy in front of them

Yeah was watching a bunch of the footage from the fire

This is not anectodal either, Alice Carrier, Sophie Rottenberg, Zane Shamblin, Alex Taylor, Joe Ceccanti, Amaurie Lacey, Stein-Erik Soelberg, Joshua Enneking, are just some examples from 2025 and ChatGPT... This does include Character AI examples, Chai AI, Nomi, etc.

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Happy to hear that!