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PaperclipPerfector  9d ago (text post)   40360 thread views

Culture War Roundup for the week of September 8, 2025

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Tyler Robinson, Kirk shooter, has been caught after a family friend turned him in

The markings on the bullets described by authorities indicate that the suspect, Tyler Robinson, was steeped in online culture and included references to the Antifa , or the anti-fascist, movement. A fired shell casing was inscribed with “notices bulges OwO what’s this?” - a reference to a “copypasta” - a piece of text that is repeated over and over again, often to troll people online.

Authorities say one unfired casing had the words “Hey fascist, catch!” and three down arrows - a common symbol used to represent the anti-fascist movement. A second casing had the lyrics to a song “Bella Ciao” inscribed on it. The song honours WWII-era partisans of the Italian resistance who fought Nazi Germany.

The third unfired casing was inscribed with the words “If you read this, you are gay lmao” - again an apparent reference to online trolling humour.

Parents, keep your kids away from Discord. Will be interesting to see if this guy is a true believer or just ragebaiting.

In addition to being a general Antifa thing Bella Ciao was used by the guy who attacked an ICE facility in 2019, as pointed out by Andy Ngo. So it's possible he took some inspiration from that, though it could just be generally popular enough in those circles that both referenced it.

The latter is are lyrics from the World War II-era Italian resistance song that has been adopted by Antifa as an unofficial anthem. It is frequently sung at their rallies and the song’s titled featured on their signs and slogans. In 2019, Washington state Antifa gunman Willem van Spronsen closed his manifesto with “Bella ciao” before attacking an ICE facility in Tacoma with a rifle and incendiary devices. He was shot dead while trying to ignite a propane tank close to the building and has since been glorified by Antifa as a hero and martyr.

In addition to being a general Antifa thing Bella Ciao was used by the guy who attacked an ICE facility in 2019, as pointed out by Andy Ngo. So it's possible he took some inspiration from that, though it could just be generally popular enough in those circles that both referenced it.

The actual reference for the song is the Netflix series Money Heist (by which I mean: yes it comes from the Itallian partisans, but literally none of these people would know that, were it not for the series). It was wildly popular in Europe, and is about as apolitical as you can get when writing a story about breaking into the European Central Bank. I think some of the iconography might have adapted by some activists, and if I had to guess the side, it would be left, but I'm not sure on that.

It's one of the most popular political songs of all time. I like Casa de Papel, but come on.

Maybe as a case of big fish small pond? I guearantee you most people never heard of it, and to the extent they did the chart I linked below speaks for itself.

I've known of it for a long time (and actually learned how to sing it in Italian, a language I don't speak) in my tankie/left-anarchist college days. It's significance would be very well known, way before the show, by leftie academic types I would think. But outside of them, I've also heard it sung in friends and family gathering, in random music shows, for decades, and I'm not italian. It's a very well known song in general. Maybe younger people have had more chances of being exposed to it through Casa de Papel, but it's been floating around in general culture for a long time.

Maybe younger people have had more chances of being exposed to it through Casa de Papel, but it's been floating around in general culture for a long time.

We're living in a time when cultural references in political discourse (what's left of it) consist of Star Wars, Harry Potter and Marvel movies. "Leftie academic types" were a core of my friend group, and none of them has hard the song in their life, before the show came out. The kinds of behavior you describe as the source of your knowledge of the song is so rare, I wouldn't be surprised if half your fiends had "von" in their last name.

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