Building the Network That Serves the Revolution Pt2
Working with, not for, the poor, and the working class.
In the last article, we started the conversation about why movements get co-opted and fail. It’s worth noting that these articles are meant to serve as introductions to topics and not as a final say, for as much hubris as I own while I walk through the grocery store convincing myself I didn’t need a basket, I hold not so much when telling people how to live their lives.
When we last left off I had discussed a little bit about preparing for the worst case scenarios by having things like a heavy duty First Aid kit, your garden, some solar power, and we left off with a quick note about housing. So to start here let’s deep dive a bit more into that.
That house is Your House. Fuck em.
One of the primary fears about revolution, comes from those who rent, or don’t fully own their home, be it from mortgages, liens, tax burdens, whatever. And so they say things like “I can’t afford to get kicked out on the street!” to which I ask each of you:
“Who said you had to leave?”
The answer is simple: Banks, Landlords, the State. All the people who we’re revolting against. Which is why I tend to push just a bit further: “Why are you listening to the person you’re at war with? Do you think Russian soldiers took orders from Nazi occupiers, or did they shoot at them?” Part of the problem and what will be the hardest push for the left is going to be changing the mindset from “I have X thing because someone lets me” to “I have X thing because I deserve it as a baseline need for my existence, and if the powers want it, they’ll have to pry it from my cold, dead, hands.”
Housing is the crux of this. In an earlier article on “5 Steps to Non-Violent Revolution” we discussed Step 2: Community Defense. A major portion of that lies in protecting yours and your neighbors homes from those who would try to take them from you. That house doesn’t belong to the landlord, regardless of the laws. You’re paying for it. You’re living in it. You’re maintaining it. It’s YOUR house. So understanding that there will inevitably be some fights, and some attempts to remove you from the property is is good and smart. There will. Recognizing that you and your newfound neighborhood commune are going to have to repel those attempts is what we’re talking about now.
It all hinges on your ability to build that community. To work with your neighbors and to have everyone on the block truly understand what solidarity means. It’s not going to be quick or easy, but it CAN be done. When explaining the concept to people, I often refer back to the farms of the great depression and their subsequent Penny Auctions1, times when farming communities would use their man power to intimidate potential bidders and bankers, allowing those who’s homes would be seized to buy back their land and tools for mere pennies.
There’s plenty of other examples as well. Well known communist agitators of the 30s like Mother Bloor2 traveled from town to town across the Midwest during droughts and foreclosures teaching locals how to organize and fight for better pay, and prevent foreclosures. By taking these lessons to heart, we can fight to ensure we maintain shelter during the times we’ll need it most. But what about those who don’t have a house? What about those who have so much less? What can be done for them?
Working with the Houseless. Mutual aid for those in Tent City
The issues facing those living on the streets, in tents, cars, and alleyways, serve as both a reminder of why we on the left fight for what we do, as well as a marker of fear of what could be should we fail. But it’s vital to understand that just because someone doesn’t have a home or a job, doesn’t mean they need you to show up and treat them like a child.
By listening first to not only their needs, but their knowledge and wisdom, there is a lot that can be both gleaned from these places, as well as giving you the right tools to be helpful in a non-paternalistic way. If you aren’t sure where or how to get started or this section feels entirely too vague (it kind of will be, because there is FAR too much to cover in a few paragraphs), Here’s a few resources to get you started:
https://www.restingsafe.org/
https://fullercenter.org/clarksdale/
https://www.facebook.com/jbbreakfastclub/
I also put together a short video a while back where I spoke with a number of members of the houseless community in Huntsville, Alabama about why they were there, what they needed, and their stories. You can watch that here:
So we’ve talked about caring for yourself, and making sure you and others have some shelter (this is a topic we’ll touch on a lot more throughout this project), so now, let’s talk about money.
Using the root of all evil, to ground yourself for success.
Look, I get it. Money is tight right now for everyone. One of the major symptoms of late stage capitalism is the type of economic woes you see everywhere. Constant market crashes, no jobs, the jobs that do exist pay nothing, its all a mess. And while it would be great to immediately move to barter system and abandon currency all together, that’s not currently practical. So we need to be building plans for how we can move and exchange money, as well as buy goods when they start cracking down on us.
Obviously, cash is king. Making sure you have access to some amount of cash is going to be vital to your survival. I get there there is a huge push to digitize everything, and it’s absolutely more convenient than carrying a wad of cash everywhere, but it’s also a trap. I’m absolutely not suggesting you stuff all your money in a mattress or anything, but with each paycheck, settings aside a couple of dollars in cash can really help you down the road. As we mentioned last time, the system is dependent almost entirely on the green papers holding value. It’s where their influence, power, and stranglehold comes from. So even in a revolutionary scenario, they aren’t going to abandon it so quickly. Meaning for you, having some greenbacks can ensure food and supplies if you’re having a rough go.
One thing, I will absolutely advocate against is any form of digital currency that you are not planning to sell in the next 12 months. You wanna ride DogeCoin to the moon until november? Cool. Meme away bro. But treating cryptocurrency as the solution to our problems is a fools errand. It holds absolutely zero value, and once the internet goes down, so goes your money. Which is again why I suggest holding ‘some’ cash.
So, how do we send said cash to people who need it when we build these mutual aid networks? This is a tricky one. Sending actual cash physically through the mail runs the risk of of someone at the post office stealing your money. Things like western union et al, are rife with scammers and other pitfalls. In the current and near future, it does unfortunately seem like if you looking to work outside your direct community you’ll need to use a digital platform.
That being said, my advice is don’t. We need to be working and building those communities and network where we live. Sure there are going to be some extraneous cases where you need to cashapp someone $10 bucks to the cause. That’s fine. But let’s be honest here, things like police violence, bail problems, food insecurity, and more are happening EVERYWHERE. Not just in some town thousands of miles from you. Your local cops are murdering people just like the ones in NYC, Kenosha, LA, Albuquerque, Dallas, Atlanta, etc. Find ways to spend those funds locally. You need to get out and meet your fellow anarchists, have tough conversations about the future, and work together to build that network where cash can trade hands and make it where it needs to go.
I’ll likely wrap up this little series with part 3 on Monday with some final thoughts and some generalized tips. Enjoy your weekends, and go drop a fiver on a comrade who’s stuck sleeping outside. They need it WAY more than you do. Solidarity,
-EQ
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5060/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ella_Reeve_Bloor