Submitted by fortmis in Mutual_Aid

how do we make sure mutual aid isn't just charity (aka giving money to people instead of freeing them from a system that keeps them captive in a place of constant need).

mutual aid is vital and powerful, but i feel like in a lot of situations it risks keeping us stagnant --stuck in a place of dependency instead of emancipation.

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tuesday wrote

I think that the thing about mutual aid is that there has to be some effort that move beyond just providing for the needs of individuals. We have to build things that replace the state and capitalist apparatuses for the needs that we're providing.

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Exlurker wrote

I think this is a little condensing, expecting groups made just to get a little bit of food to expand to taking down the system. Movements don't help anyone, the focus should always be on empowering individuals.

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lettuceLeafer wrote

Mutual aid isn't a emancetory program. It's very clearly a program to make people dependent for the purpose of personal benefit. Which isn't wrong but idk sounds like ur looking for something else.

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Ant wrote

Start first with people you are in affinity with. Solves all the problems insofar as they can be solved.

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fortmis OP wrote

Movements don't help anyone,

individuals have significantly more power when they engage as a movement. it's true some movements spiral out of control, but saying "movements don't help anyone" is like saying restaurants don't feed people.

expand to taking down the system

shouldn't we all be trying to do this? also, i have a sneaking suspicion that mutual aid, when done truly autonomously, naturally challenges the system.

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fortmis OP wrote

i agree and i think that if mutual aid is done in its true style, it would automatically replace capitalist exchanges and binds. but I'm not sure if all mutual aid does this. a lot of mutual aid is go fund me type thing, and I find it to be good in emergency settings, but it's not really truly mutual aid.

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