Hello everyone,

The /c/Literature community is launching a book club. You will be able to access the reading in Perusall, which allows for community annotations and discussions within the text. We will also be hosting book discussion posts at /c/Literature every other Saturday, along with our weekly "What are you reading?" threads.

VOTE here, and the winner will be assigned for the period of March/April.

• Kropotkin – ‘Mutual Aid’. The anarchist Peter Kropotkin explores the role of mutually beneficial cooperation and reciprocity in both the animal kingdom and human societies. Kropotkin argues against theories of social Darwinism that emphasize competition and ‘the survival of the fittest’, and instead argues that mutual aid has advantages for the survival of human and animal communities and has been promoted through natural selection. Mutual Aid is widely considered a fundamental text in anarchist communism, presenting a scientific basis for communism, whilst many biologists also consider this text an important work in the development of the biological theory of altruism.

• Luxemburg – ‘Reform or Revolution?’ This pamphlet by Marxist theorist Rosa Luxemburg has been influential in revolutionary socialist circles. In this work, Luxemburg seeks to demonstrate the inadequacy of the Reformism preached by the likes of Eduard Bernstein. Whilst still acknowledging the beneficial uses of trade unions, reformist politics, and social democracy, she argues that these methods alone cannot bring about a socialist society and that revolutionary methods are necessary. Though written at the end of the 19th century, the questions this text addresses remain important as the basic argument about how we can challenge capitalism persists.

• Taylor – ‘How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective’. A group of radical black feminists, known as The Combahee River Collective, was an organization that developed out of the anti-racist and women's liberation movements of the 1960s and 70s. In this collection, edited by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, founding members of the organization and contemporary activists reflect on the legacy of its contributions to black feminism and its impact on today's struggles. How We Get Free gets to the roots of Black feminism and shows that a truly liberatory movement must be anti-racist, anti-heteropatriarchy, anti-imperialist, and socialist.

• Various Authors – ‘Class Struggle and Mental Health: Live to Fight Another Day’. This pamphlet brings together accounts from several anarchists from around the globe about what it means to suffer from mental illness and what we, both as individuals and a movement, can do about it. Unfortunately, many of us will find the experiences detailed in the pamphlet all too familiar, but that is precisely why this selection is so relevant. (I should stress, however, that this text should not be seen nor treated as an alternative or replacement for professional help).

• Kelley – ‘Hammer and Hoe: Alabama Communists During the Great Depression’. In this account of the labour, racial, and social history of Alabama, Robin Kelley details how black workers in Alabama made communism their own, blending the teachings of Marx and Lenin with those of the black church and the lessons of decades of resistance to slavery, segregation, and racist terrorism. This book offers us important lessons that activists have been drawing on since it was published three decades ago, and it remains an important piece for young organizers struggling with the questions of race, gender, class, and solidarity.

Hola Camaradas :fidel-salute-big: , Our Comrades In Texas and Mississippi are currently passing Through some Hard times :amerikkka: so if you had some Leftover Change or are a bourgeoisie Class Traitor [here are some Mutual Aid programs that you could donate to ](https://hexbear.net/post/85867? :left-unity-3:

The State and Revolution :flag-su:

:lenin-shining: :unity: :kropotkin-shining:

The Conquest of Bread :ancom:

Remember, sort by new you :LIB:

Yesterday’s megathread :sad-boi:

Follow the ChapoChat twitter account :comrade-birdie:

THEORY; it’s good for what ails you (all kinds of tendencies inside!) :RIchard-D-Wolff:

COMMUNITY CALENDAR - AN EXPERIMENT IN PROMOTING USER ORGANIZING EFFORTS :af:

Join the fresh and beautiful batch of new comms:

!genzedong@hexbear.net :deng-salute:

!agitprop@hexbear.net :allende-rhetoric:

!paganism@hexbear.net :anarchist-occult:

!neurodiverse@hexbear.net :Care-Comrade:

  • itsPina [he/him, she/her]
    ·
    4 years ago

    i love how for the last two weeks america has just given up on covid entirely

    keep going into gas stations and hwat not and being told I dont have to wear a mask anymore lol

    • lib_0000429384 [any]
      ·
      4 years ago

      America is going to get its ass kicked by the B117 variant if the experts are correct.

      The overall case numbers that have been decreasing are starting to flatten out because the old variants are indeed still on the decline, but B117's rise is cancelling that out in many areas. Unfortunately a flat line isn't enough to scare people, especially after a year of isolation fatigue and with spring weather upon us. Plus all the vaccine talk is a false reassurance that is still very much under way. This is what happened in Europe recently, and now unfolding in the US.

      Unfortunately, American governments everywhere are loosening restrictions left and right because basically everybody knows that regardless of the threat, fuck you I'm going to party now.

      Stay safe, comrades!

  • star_wraith [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    In capitalist society, any media (books, movies) that tries to portray anything significantly better than the status quo is slandered at "utopian". Why are we so docile that we just go along with this "better things aren't possible" thinking?

    • Frank [he/him, he/him]
      ·
      4 years ago

      I am mad about games right now because so many sci-fi games are like "Fascist space capitalism is the ultimate goal of humanity either way fight these evul for the evulz bad guys because we cannot imagine any legitimate challenge to the status quo we have invented"

      Like Mass Effect? You're a fascist death squad whose job is to kill ugly aliens to protect the pretty aliens space capitalism and it turns out there's an evil robot that wants to kill everyone because robots are just evil right?

      Fuck mass effect. All the "bad guy" aliens are violent and breed really fast and they're violent and also they 're outbreeding us and does this remind you of anything?

    • CptKrkIsClmbngThMntn [any]
      ·
      4 years ago

      "Basically, if you're not a utopianist, you're a schmuck." - Jonothon Feldman, Indigenous Planning Times

  • GenderIsOpSec [she/her]
    ·
    4 years ago

    Sometimes I go into threads and upbear comments that have one like on them even if I don't agree with the take.

    :meow-hug:

  • Dbumba [none/use name]
    ·
    4 years ago

    Sorry for the late night doomer post, just have to unload word vomit, but I'm feeling really demoralized with the passive acceptance of "returning to normal".

    We had an unprecedented worldwide pandemic that shut down the globe, exposed the illusion of our economy and the complete inability of one of the wealthiest countries in the world to take care of its own citizens.

    And yet, absolutely nothing has changed.

    Universal Healthcare isn't even a topic of discussion after the dems tanked Bernie. During a pandemic. Let that sink in. Too extreme for either red or blue maga, not up for discussion.

    Social protests were hijacked by the media into violent narratives to quash any sort of collective movement by the people. Nooo the big box Target is being destroyed, you know the heartless behemoth conglomerate that helped bankrupt every main street usa and now forces its residents to live on poverty wages.

    Meanwhile billionaires seized a tragedy into an opportunity for wealth accumulation, while forcing employees into perilous haphazard working conditions. The promises of even extra cleaning are being rolled back, while simultaneously using "covid" as a convenient excuse to cut unprofitable perks and protocol for employees and customers alike.

    Honestly I think most of the people in the country are perfectly fine being cucked by their capitalist overlords. The general consensus is "yeah, things are bad, but what can I do about it?" And then you just have to march on, kind of do the best you can just to get by, always treading water to keep yourself from complete drowning. They'd rather take the option that leaves them "comfortably poor". Life here is a giant open air working prison. Most people seem to just accept this reality and try to find those beer on the rooftop Shawshank Redemption moments.

    The new dark age of neo feudalism. I feel like there's no light at the end of the tunnel anymore.

  • FRIENDLY_BUTTMUNCHER [she/her]
    ·
    4 years ago

    Day 12 of trying to turn myself into a communist: Started reading Capital today. Man, that Marx dude really liked his linens :marx:

  • notthenameiwant [he/him]M
    ·
    4 years ago

    I’m growing closer to getting fired and yet I feel freer. I’m not scared of being fired anymore because the Catholic Workers will house me and put me to work for the betterment of the poor. I no longer fear wage slavery. My chains are gone. This kind of shit might catch me a charge in the long run.

    • star_wraith [he/him]
      ·
      4 years ago

      I've known this feeling. It can be freeing, in a lot of ways.

  • Nagarjuna [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    My work (s)training is attempting to give a 101 level explanation of critical race theory without saying the words "black" or "African American." So far the euphemisms have included "people with multiple intersectionalities" and "white children as well as diverse children."

    Also, they fundamentally do not understand what the words "socially constructed" mean and it's hurting my humanities major soul.

    The only actionable advice I've gotten so far is "referring to races as colors is considered offensive."

    • Mog_Pharou [he/him]
      ·
      4 years ago

      Poor kids are just as bright as white kids.

      :biden-nibble:

  • Parzivus [any]
    ·
    4 years ago

    The wallstreetbets people gave at least $20k to a gorilla conservation group as a bit so that's neat

  • Wmill [they/them]
    ·
    4 years ago

    Idea so I soaked 2 bags of chickpeas and cooked them. Tomorrow gonna try roasted chickpeas. Vids I watched say they a great snack. Gonna season them with olive oil :AyyyyyOC: then maybe add bbq sauce and other spices I have.

    If these come out good this gonna be my new snack food. Need to eat healthy, want to out live so many people I hate and need to take my health serious.

    • Alf [any]
      ·
      edit-2
      2 years ago

      deleted by creator

    • LessNephrons1 [he/him]
      ·
      4 years ago

      Mix 2 Tablespoon Nooch, 1 teaspoon each Chili flakes, dried garlic, dried ginger, turmeric, cumin, black salt . If you like very spicy add some chili or cayenne powder. You now have the best spice mix in the world. Add to anything.

      I eat three cans a day chickpeas prepared as follows. Drain and rinse. Heat up some oil in a pan medium high. Add chickpeas to pan, sprinkle spice mix liberally on top. Like a couple teaspoons worth. fry and flip in pan for 10-12 minutes. Salt and pepper, add lemon juice. Add avocado if you can afford it. Delicious.

      • Wmill [they/them]
        ·
        4 years ago

        Other than nooch and black salt I think I have everything here. Will see what I can substitute for that. I'll sperate some tomorrow and try this as best as I can. Thank you for this recipe, if I don't mess up to flavor town I go.

        • LessNephrons1 [he/him]
          ·
          4 years ago

          The recipe described here by Internet Shaquille is pretty close to what im talking about in terms of pan frying the beans. The addition of fresh chopped herbs also makes them a lot better and makes you feel like you're eating vegetables

      • Wmill [they/them]
        ·
        4 years ago

        Responding to this just to see if you get your password back.

    • emizeko [they/them]
      ·
      4 years ago

      the other day we made fresh hummus and ate it with baguettes straight from the bakery. wow!