Generational Dynamics Forum - New Site

I think political violence has become more of a forefront in our discourse, in our generation’s discourse, more so than ever before. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe I have recency bias. But I don’t remember any point in the past decade of my career where it was this transparent, it was this out there, it was celebrated to this degree.

And why do you think that is?

I mean, that one is easy. This is something that I talked about in the aftermath of Brian Thompson’s murder as well, allegedly at the hands of Luigi Mangione. It’s seen as a pressure valve for people. Democracy is supposed to be a pressure valve. So when the democratic institutions are not working to meet the demands of the overall population, there’s a lot of discontent. And then I think people find themselves in the throes of desperation, find themselves so angry that they can’t deal with it, that they end up engaging in adventurism, decentralized violence such as this. And I think that’s where these instances of political violence and instability come from.

You mentioned Luigi Mangione — do you think we’re going to see more of this kind of political violence in the future?

I think, if left unaddressed, a lot of these societal wounds are not going to heal. They’re only going to worsen. So unfortunately, the future does seem kind of bleak in that regard.

We need structural solutions to these systemic problems. It does feel like there’s this political football, this back-and-forth about culture war narratives, culture war issues, demonization of the political opposition, rather than seeking to address these problems. At first, it might come across as just simply unproductive. Or maybe productive, if your goal is to change the discourse away from seeking out constructive answers to the issues that people are facing, but unproductive in the long run. Because, like I said, if left unaddressed, people become increasingly more resentful. And in that volatility, they do dangerous things.

50 years prison time for Baltimore County woman found with bodies of two children inside of her car
By: Dominick Philippe-Auguste
Posted 6:56 PM, Feb 10, 2025 and last updated 7:03 PM, Feb 10, 2025

BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. — An end to a gruesome story in Baltimore County.

Nicole Johnson, 36, was sentenced to 50 years in prison after the bodies of two children were found in her car.

The disturbing discovery was unveiled July 28, 2021.

It all began when officers assigned to the Essex precinct pulled over Johnson's vehicle on Eastern Boulevard near Wagner's Lane.

Officers found that the vehicle was uninsured, unregistered, and had a fake temporary West Virginia tag attached to it.

RELATED: Aunt charged after police discover bodies of two children during traffic stop in Essex

Initial plans were to tow the car and issue citations, but Johnson had made some disturbing comments when the officer told her of potential court dates.

"It don't matter, I won't be here in five days," Johnson reportedly told the officer. "Y'all going to see me on the news, y'all going to see on the news making my big debut."

Johnson was instructed to take anything she may need out of the car before it was towed.

That's when the officer reported he began to smell a strong odor, immediately believing something was dead in the car.

Johnson pulled out a plastic tote and trash bag from the trunk.

Police said the bag contained maggots and a suitcase. She tried explaining to officers that it was just dirty blankets from living out of her car, but they were not convinced and ordered her to open the suitcase.

READ MORE: Charging documents reveal heartbreaking story of two children whose bodies were found inside aunt's car

It was then the first discovery was made, the decomposing body of 7-year-old Joshlyn Marie James Johnson.

After the child was found, Johnson made an unsuccessful attempt to flee.

Once she was caught, officers made the second horrific discovery: The body of Joshlyn's 5-year-old brother, Larry O'Neill, who was found stuffed inside the plastic tote bag.

An autopsy of Joshlyn's body revealed that she had been extremely malnourished and weighed only 18 pounds, Larry only weighed 21 pounds.

WASHINGTON (TNND) — North Carolina Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes granted the release of Decarlos Brown, a homeless man charged with the brutal stabbing death of Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zaruska, following his arrest in January based upon a "written promise" that Brown would return for his court hearing, a court document reviewed by the National News Desk revealed.

The mother of the man charged with the murder of Iryna Zarutska has spoken out against the decisions that allowed him to be released from jail.

The mother of Decarlos Brown Jr., who was charged with stabbing Zarutska to death in Charlotte, North Carolina, in August, said her son should not have been freed after he was arrested in January.

Brown's mother, who spoke anonymously with local news, said the system that released her son, despite his criminal record and history of aggressive behavior, was "broken" and "failed."

Higgenbotham wrote: Thu Sep 04, 2025 8:07 pm

China unveils a powerful deep-sea cable cutter that could reset the world order

China unveils a powerful deep-sea cable cutter that could reset the world order
Beijing now has the power to disrupt global communications after scientists revealed a device that can sever undersea cables

A compact, deep-sea, cable-cutting device, capable of severing the world’s most fortified underwater communication or power lines, has been unveiled by China – and it could shake up global maritime power dynamics.