Unjerk: Mutual aid implies long term consistent aid between an interdependent group, a social safety net built by a large group of people who all know one another
Rejerk: It's charity but when overly online leftists do it
I feel like the words themselves imply a difference in hierarchy. Someone giving charity is in a position of power or privilege over the one receiving charity, whether intentional or not. Mutual aid is at least as much about building a community as it is about material support.
Probably a lot of overlap in between the two. But I'd like to think mutual aid is something designed to be permanent and used by everybody in the mutual aid group.
So like, families in a neighborhood knowing each other well enough that each can call upon the others if they needed an extra blanket might be more mutual aid than charity.
A family that had extra blankets (or went out and purchased blankets) to give away to those in need but would never need to ask another family for an extra blanket, probably more charity than mutual aid.
mutual aid is solidarity, and should challenge the systems that create hierarchies
charity is hierarchical, and takes for granted (ie, works within) those systems that create hierarchies.
I think also though when someone refers to "charity" they are usually referring to big nonprofits or wealthy people philanthropy. Idk the exact definition of charity or charitable, but I suppose you could make the case that mutual aid is "charitable," or that "charity" does not necessarily need to be this hierarchical, systems-enforcing act. And I suppose mutual aid does often include some aspect of "charity."
But in our current vernacular, charity usually refers to hierarchical giving which seeks to enforce those systems that make charity necessary. It's a temporary reallocation of resources. whereas mutual aid seeks to challenge those same systems which charity upholds. mutual aid builds up sustainable communities, not communities which remain dependent. The difference is where the saying "solidarity not charity" comes from.
Charity is when you make someone show income statements and pray with you before you let them go through the food pantry. Mutual aid is when you just say "Welcome comrade, take what you need!" As someone who has been on both sides, there's always with charity an undercurrent of you MUST be grateful and you MUST jump through hoops to prove that you're worthy and needy and you MUST let me tell my friends all about how wonderful I am because I helped you.
Look at the early mutual aid societies, workers banding together into a co-op to provide healthcare funds for instance. Or the Building societies where workers used collective power to build and sell houses with interest free loans.
Mutual aid is mutual, the understanding is that when you give it is in the expectation that they will pay back in when they can and when you are in need, the same service will be provided, without guilt or hierarchy.
Charity by contrast is simply giving. It's still good and useful, and some types, particularly the very old established religious charity types like alms are almost mutual aid in how they are done in a communitarian way. But there's no expectation of building solidarity and a communal resource pool. It's rich person gives to poor person, one way.
Philanthopy is charity on steroids, with the one way relationship emphasised. Look at the Gates, trying to fix the world's problems into a box of their own devising with a top down hand like some sort of capitalist central planner.
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Unjerk: Mutual aid implies long term consistent aid between an interdependent group, a social safety net built by a large group of people who all know one another
Rejerk: It's charity but when overly online leftists do it
I feel like the words themselves imply a difference in hierarchy. Someone giving charity is in a position of power or privilege over the one receiving charity, whether intentional or not. Mutual aid is at least as much about building a community as it is about material support.
Probably a lot of overlap in between the two. But I'd like to think mutual aid is something designed to be permanent and used by everybody in the mutual aid group.
So like, families in a neighborhood knowing each other well enough that each can call upon the others if they needed an extra blanket might be more mutual aid than charity.
A family that had extra blankets (or went out and purchased blankets) to give away to those in need but would never need to ask another family for an extra blanket, probably more charity than mutual aid.
mutual aid is solidarity, and should challenge the systems that create hierarchies
charity is hierarchical, and takes for granted (ie, works within) those systems that create hierarchies.
I think also though when someone refers to "charity" they are usually referring to big nonprofits or wealthy people philanthropy. Idk the exact definition of charity or charitable, but I suppose you could make the case that mutual aid is "charitable," or that "charity" does not necessarily need to be this hierarchical, systems-enforcing act. And I suppose mutual aid does often include some aspect of "charity."
But in our current vernacular, charity usually refers to hierarchical giving which seeks to enforce those systems that make charity necessary. It's a temporary reallocation of resources. whereas mutual aid seeks to challenge those same systems which charity upholds. mutual aid builds up sustainable communities, not communities which remain dependent. The difference is where the saying "solidarity not charity" comes from.
mutual aid lacks hierarchy
Charity is when you make someone show income statements and pray with you before you let them go through the food pantry. Mutual aid is when you just say "Welcome comrade, take what you need!" As someone who has been on both sides, there's always with charity an undercurrent of you MUST be grateful and you MUST jump through hoops to prove that you're worthy and needy and you MUST let me tell my friends all about how wonderful I am because I helped you.
Look at the early mutual aid societies, workers banding together into a co-op to provide healthcare funds for instance. Or the Building societies where workers used collective power to build and sell houses with interest free loans.
Mutual aid is mutual, the understanding is that when you give it is in the expectation that they will pay back in when they can and when you are in need, the same service will be provided, without guilt or hierarchy.
Charity by contrast is simply giving. It's still good and useful, and some types, particularly the very old established religious charity types like alms are almost mutual aid in how they are done in a communitarian way. But there's no expectation of building solidarity and a communal resource pool. It's rich person gives to poor person, one way.
Philanthopy is charity on steroids, with the one way relationship emphasised. Look at the Gates, trying to fix the world's problems into a box of their own devising with a top down hand like some sort of capitalist central planner.