What have the alternatives to electoralism looked like on the ground for you? DSA, PSL, acronyms still yet unearthed?
I did a zoom thing with the PSL one time. I said I was intrested in doing something actually useful.instead of fucking around with pointless elections and they got upset about it. I didn't do another.
I've heard good things about Food Not Bombs although personally there aren't any chapters near me so idk specifics
Start one. It's extremely do-able with just a few friends, seriously, and it's a great way to develop revolutionary consciousness among the people who do it. I've noticed people on this site being dismissive of FNB, and calling it "charity," which I think is a bit myopic. Participating in food not bombs inevitably radicalizes people, in part because you'll almost certainly get hassled by cops when you attempt to serve food to people. It also helps you and your friends develop very useful, practical skills - sourcing food, cooking as a group, feeding large groups of people, having conversations with strangers, dealing with the pigs, etc. It's a great way to do strike support as well - the chapter I was involved with would show up to picket lines with big pots of soup and fresh bread, and we were always very well-received and appreciated. There's some deep human magic about sharing a meal with people that breaks down artificial divisions, and allows for deeper connections and the kind of interactions that build real solidarity.
Along with everything you already said, the difference between charity and mutual aid is that literally anyone can come eat FnB food, including the cooks.
You can just start doing one. I don't think there's any official network or anything. If you give out free vegan food and call yourself Food not Bombs then it's a chapter
This is so fucking rad, thank you so much comrade for the effort, reading practical ways to organize like this is my blackpill antidote
I don't think joining political parties engaged in electoralism really counts as an alternative to electoralism, does it?
I think joining an org that does all sorts of political work: mutual aid, solidarity actions with strikers, political education, and yes sometimes elections counts if you're not looking to do electoral work.
Like, most work DSA chapters do is not electoral, and if you're bored of doing electoral work there's plenty of other stuff you can do in DSA.
just seems like electoralism light (tm) to me, but maybe there's literally no other mutual aid orgs in somebody's area other than the political parties
I feed politicians dying a violent death to NeuralBlender and post the results on Twitter.
Just go on Instagram and look up (your city) mutual aid. A great way to find your own skills that you can contribute and work it into a larger structure. Offer to make canva posts to fundraise for unhoused ppl other comrades reach out to. If you have a car you can move unhoused ppls stuff when they get evicted or deliver supplies.
