#solidarity not charity

[chronicallycouchbound]

I successfully convinced a toddler at the food bank that my rollator is a racecar so today is a win

[fridafemme]

these mass deportations are going to lead to grocery prices skyrocketing and the ruling class is going to do their best to use those high prices to manufacture consent for slavery

it’s time to lock in, stop relying on these corporations, start taking care of your neighbors, and do what must be done to protect your community.

[soul-our-punk]

What are we even doing here?

The more people who understand there are ways to meet your needs, and not at the cost of someone else's needs, the better. Particularly if they don't hold bigoted views which lead to silly things like going out of your way to prevent someone else from having their needs met. Making the world worse for someone because you don't know how to make it better for yourself. Life's hard enough without wasting your precious time, energy, and creative force on how to afflict your neighbor.

For my part, I like to think there are more people in the world who like the concept of mutual aid and are merely making do with the current capitalistic-zero-sum game until something better crystalizes--in spite of the system shouting so loud about itself, good or ill, in an effort to make it difficult to hear alternatives. Which is why I believe "solidarity over charity" is such an approachable proposition, regardless of the generation to which you have been ascribed by whomever does the sorting. I mean, Peter Singer was talking about this in the 70's. You have an obligation as a member of society to take measures to preserve wellness and uplift the vulnerable--give until giving any more would cause you harm. You get to decide where that dividing line is based on your finances, energy levels, social support network, available time, mobility, etc. As long as you set that line earnestly, then you are fulfilling the obligation which entitles you to the benefits of other member's solidarity.

The thing is, we're cornered. Restricted in analyses of all the options we could use to compose more humane systems. Isolated from what we could become, by a constant stream of shock doctrines induced by manufactured-disasters. So, mutual aid remains considered a coping strategy, rather than a cultural driving force for fundamental change, for the time being. Though, there's the rub, in that if there is always a new disaster, there is always a perceived need of relief prioritized over sustainable growth, which means the mutual aid has to become a political driving force to get ahead of the source of constructed woes.

I say that while also being painfully aware that discussion of any ideology beyond the current paradigm is defined by capitalistic expectations. Alternatives are invariably framed as monstrous inevitabilities in the supposed disastrous event of dismantlement, at least until they're cut open and adapted to fulfill a material component requisite to quell dissenting voices. "We can have social programs, yes, but it's not socialism, socialism is bad. Capitalism is good, which is why you have these social programs. Ignore other countries that have been providing more of these benefits for much longer, and devote more relative resources." Every other ideology is either fodder to be exploited for some new way to market what we have, or is dismissed/reviled for significant lack of traits that we already have in the devil we know. Which is very convenient for finding more fodder. Why would we want any system we make from here on anything like capitalism? We have to keep in mind that we are not looking for a better release appeal to make before an intractable captor. We are looking for the strategy that will attract enough confidence from fellow captives. To disenchant the captivated of the all consuming capitalist notion that virtue is derived from the free market's advertised high proficiency value generation.

What value? It definitely lets select groups pool resources, making their coffers more "valuable" in a fiscal sense, but where is the Value in that for a society? If its only claim to fame is that it can move numbers around faster and wont judge you for neglecting people's needs, then what does it actually do for us collectively that another system can't? Capitalism's whole premise relies on you not having enough, on you believing that there is not enough out there, that the only way you can have enough is to get there before someone else gets it and you're left with The Zero-Sum. But why would we take that on blind faith? What if there is a way to play the Positive-Sum game and we're just sitting on that because we assume its a fantasy?

How tragic to realize that the whole time you were suffering an obscene Sallie Mae loan, there could have been a non-tuition option. How mortifying to learn the medical bills that were artificially inflated by the relationship between the hospital and your insurance could have been handled by the taxes you already pay. The rent that serves as your proof of earning the right to live, assuaged with universal basic income. The chronic anxiety, stress, and aggression born from a machine of impersonal jobs that can leverage social class and basic needs to claim a third of your life for the least possible compensation possible; replaced with all the possibilities of a well rested mind and body.

Why would we as a collective people ever opt-in to the gamified social hierarchy?

What are we even still doing here?

[feckcops]

Dinners for debt justice

“Darcy: Jubilee is a fundamental challenge to our economic system, which depends on domestic and international debt. While paying off payday loans, loans to offset fuel bills, etc, we are less able to meet everyday needs and our purchasing options are limited. International debt cancellation would prevent multinational companies perverting markets and forcing poor nations to sell resources to pay debt off at high interest rates.

“We run a free public meal at the end of every month. Its purpose is to incrementally build networks of solidarity – connecting activists, community groups and vulnerable people through open dialogue and simple but meaningful support.

“Ci: My guiding principles have been ‘think globally, act locally’. The Black Panthers used mutual aid as a direct-action strategy. Mutual aid allows us to build a larger base of local support, recognising people’s immediate concerns and the need to look after one another.”

[boof-chamber]

people are scared. they don’t feel safe, they don’t trust their neighbors, they don’t trust their friends and family, and they certainly do not trust us. so it is downright absurd the way so many leftists will either shame/blame Americans for not spontaneously rising up against our oppressors or irresponsibly call for general strikes, rent strikes, tax strikes - without any regard for the very real consequences associated with such actions.

people are afraid. they do not want to end up homeless. they do not want their kids to starve. we are living under a brutal neoliberal competitive individualist society - “everyone for themselves” is the rule, not the exception. we are taught - and we see and experience day after day - that the only person we can ever trust to look out for us is ourselves.

and so - is it not absurd to expect people to just stop paying their rent or taxes or showing up at work because some arrogant out-of-touch asshole on the internet said it would solve all our problems?

sorry, but we cannot skip all the preparations that must come before these collective actions can succeed - the most important of which is to build trust among our community members. and that is not something we can just tell people to do. we have to show them. we have to learn to trust and be trusted, we have to learn how to care for and about one another.

people will be much more open to the risks associated with collective action when they feel confident that their community has got their backs. the reality is that our liberation will not quick, easy, and painless. it’s going be difficult. there will be hardships. if we cannot learn to look out for one another, we will be crushed, brutally and mercilessly, and we may not get another chance.

[thatoneancientevilthathasapoint]

Hello, I hope you and your family are well. Can you please help me recycle the post on my account? 🌺 And help rescue my family from the war in Gaza? 🙏 Thank you.

https://gofund.me/1a1829cd

while we can try to influence our politicians, we can also try and help those on the ground. please donate to them, if you want to learn more about mutual aid overall I would recommend reading dean spade's work or going on https://theanarchistlibrary.org/category/topic/mutual-aid for more info

go fund me link again to click on:

[nando161mando]

"Solidarity"

[aris-has-a-paracosm]

The birds are up to something (shenanigans most definitely)

Closeups below

[eluminium]

If you showed this photo to a hermit fan a week ago they'd explode

(taken from the Gamers Outreach Twitter)

[imtoohotmilk]

new meme format just dropped

[sprinklesharkie]

hermitcraft charity live stream day !!!! look at them all together

[scifigirlgamez]

UNLEASH THE HERMITS!!! Congrats to the Gamers Outreach event for reaching a total of ONE MILLION DOLLARS RAISED!!

[monamoon8]

These are Omar(2) and Salah(5), Bilal's nephews. 8 months ago, they were enjoying the warmth of their home and being pampered by their parents and everyone in the family. The pictures below are from Omar's first birthday. Bilal told me how he was the one who prepared everything for the surprise party. He was,then, so excited to gather the whole family and give Omar a memorable first birthday and bring joy to everybody.

Now, Omar and Salah are going through hardships no child should be experiencing. They are surrounded by rubble and unsanitary conditions wherever they go; not to mention the random bombings that threaten their lives every moment of every day. Omar took his first steps while being displaced in a tent in Rafah. Imagine your baby learning to walk in a refugee camp under the constant buzzing of drones! The children and the whole family had to endure the cold winter and being drenched by rain in their flimsy tent, and now they have to go through the unbearable heat in the same inhumane circumstances. As if all this suffering wasn't enough, the occupation is currently asking everyone in Rafah to evacuate again, even the hospitals!

The survival of Omar, Salah, and the whole family in now more than ever at stake. Bilal has been in Germany for a year or so now. The thought that he might never get to see his beloved nephews again haunts him every day. He humbly asks for your support to help him keep his loved ones safe until he has the chance to reunite with them, hopefully as soon as possible. Please donate any amount you can spare and reblog this post. Every contribution can make a difference and restore the family's hope!

[belovedgamers]

Martyn really went for Joel’s throat there ToT

Transcript:

Jimmy: Joel, if you can hear me, I love you so much.

Zed: Who loves who?

Jimmy: Joel just gave me some tech issues, like, solved them, and I wanted to pronounce my love for him.

[ZEDAPH and SKIZZ laugh.]

Joel: Love you too, babe.

Jimmy: Thanks, babe.

Martyn: Yeah, but I'm the one kissing him in America, so who's really winning?

Jimmy: OOOOOH!

[boof-chamber]

solidarity is action, not platitudes. caring is action, not platitudes. mutual aid is not about cashapping someone a few bucks. sure, it helps rescue them from the immediate threat, but it changes nothing. they still face the same threats month after month.

fewer and fewer of us have financial resources to spare. then what? those of us without money think we have nothing of value to contribute to our communities. those of us with disabilities think we have nothing of value to contribute to our communities. but that’s not true. it’s just another one of capitalism’s lies. we all have needs, and we all have something to contribute. we must reconnect with our imaginations. we must reconnect with our humanity. that will require creative collaboration - brainstorming, discussion. if we have a need, we can be certain that we are not the only one who does. we are made to believe that certain needs are unreasonable - that it’s unreasonable to expect certain need to be filled. we are made to believe that our unmet needs are a burden on others. we are made to believe that it’s selfish to expect anything more than mere survival. imagine a society in which you’re not afraid, isolated, lonely, distrustful, neglected, stigmatized.

there is a better way. humans used to know that. we can relearn how to do it together. we’re our only hope. we’re all we’ve got.