This of course only applies in areas where blood has not been commodified. But if you live in a place where the medical system hasn't been completely corrupted by capital, you should do it.
And yes do it for others, but do it for yourself too. It lets you, for half an hour every few months, exist in a totally profitless environment where members of the community voluntarily gather to give to other members of the community they will never meet. Do it to remind yourself how many people on your community who don't identify as leftists participate in something like this.
Giving blood is Kropotkin's coast guard ideal.
I'm not saying giving blood is praxis, or that it will bring about the revolution, but it's an opportunity to temporarily escape our neoliberal hellworld.
But most do. The caveat is so big as to make this useless advice for the vast majority of your audience. Honestly that episode I posted has given me a jaundiced view of any claims towards blood "donation". If you look into the industry in your locality I'm almost certain you'll be disappointed too.
I don't know what to tell you comrade, if this post doesn't apply to you you can just keep scrolling.
Honestly your tone makes it seem like you're prickly because I posted some non-US content. Whether you intended it or not I get kind of chauvinist vibes.
Not at all. Don't make other posters waste their time researching situations you are aware of. If you know America is a shit place to donate, you should be happy to shit on America. (Honestly, you should be happy to shit on America every chance you get.) If you are certain your locality is safe, you should be happy to let other posters know that it is a good place to donate. But if you know something, and don't say something, it's posting negligence.
I think maybe you don't understand what chauvinist means comrade. The idea that before posting something that, again, is not about the US I need to check all 50 states to see what their different systems of blood donation are is chauvinist - it assumes a primacy of the perspective of those in the US.
Whether this applies to a comrade living in Vermont or not is not really my responsibility, that's why the disclaimer was at the top of the post.
All I'm asking is for you to tell us where your advice does apply and save your neighbors some effort and time verifying that your advice is good and valid.
I took care of warning the dirty lowdown American Hexbearians for you.
Please note, my Canadian Hexbearian comrades, that your country too is awash in blood money. I stopped donating blood when I realized mine was the only uncompensated labor in the blood supply pipeline. Canadian donors are throwing blood laborers in the global south under the bus. Tell your lib friends, "these veins will remain closed until all producers are justly compensated!" Worker solidarity is more important than generating revenue for the "blood charity" industry. Donors aren't just scabs, they're scabbing for free.