This Wreckage

Teen Vogue politics editor Lucy Diavolo joins us to discuss what will hopefully be the story of this crisis: neighbors organizing themselves into mutual aid networks to support each other against the virus and the capitalist system's attempts to profit from the disorder. We talk about the concept of mutual aid historically, how it's emerged in the last 15 years in the front lines of disaster relief, and some of the new ways its emerging in these early days of the pandemic. There's a lot to cover, but we talk about grocery funds and distribution, food pantries, rent strikes, squatting, childcare, self-care, and much more. Then we talk a bit about the philosophy of mutual aid: does it provide an image of a better world, or just help us survive through the collapse of civilization?

Find Lucy's work @SatansJacuzzi or on Teen Vogue: https://www.teenvogue.com/contributor/lucy-diavolo

Her article we discuss: https://www.teenvogue.com/story/people-fighting-coronavirus-mutual-aid-efforts-help-each-other

Also see: https://mutualaiddisasterrelief.org/ and their Mutual Aid Safety Guide

https://gothamist.com/news/neighbors-mobilize-help-each-other-during-coronavirus-pandemic

Article in Commune about Rent Strike and disaster relief: https://communemag.com/rent-and-its-discontents/

Vacant homes seized in LA: https://itsgoingdown.org/a-dozen-vacant-homes-reclaimed-by-unhoused-tenants-in-la-as-calls-for-rent-strike-grow-across-us/

IGD round-up of mutual aid initiatives: https://itsgoingdown.org/autonomous-groups-are-mobilizing-mutual-aid-initiatives-to-combat-the-coronavirus/

LA Tenants Union demands: https://medium.com/@LATenantsUnion/declaraci%C3%B3n-sobre-el-covid-19-demands-in-response-to-the-covid-19-crisis-f7353925d298

Sex Worker Organizing Project mutual aid fund: https://www.gofundme.com/f/z6w8v5

-Black and Pink penpal signup: https://www.blackandpink.org/penpal-sign-up

Anarchist Black Cross guide to letter writing: https://nycabc.wordpress.com/write-a-letter/

DSA grocery fund: bit.ly/covid19aid

Unity and Separation from Endnotes 4: https://endnotes.org.uk/issues/4/en/endnotes-preface

Closing song: Devendra Banhart and Beck - Life During Wartime

A wave of wildcat strikes, blockades, and general militant organizing is spreading the University of California system based on the demand that academic workers be paid a living wage. We're joined by three union members of UC Santa Cruz who were fired for refusing to turn in grades until their demands are met. We discuss the history of UC strikes starting with the 2009 occupations that were a precursor to Occupy Wall Street, how this struggle began, the meaning of Bernie's support, its broader political vision, and what lessons the broader working class can draw.

Support their strike fund: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-fund-for-striking-workers-at-ucsc

The roots of the strike: https://thefilemag.org/the-roots-of-the-santa-cruz-wildcat-strike/

Letter to UC President Napolitano: https://thefilemag.org/dear-president-napolitano/

The strike spreads: https://www.kqed.org/news/11805470/uc-berkeley-graduate-students-stage-walkout-push-for-strike-authorization?fbclid=IwAR2Z2XKKgHX-rzs6HtwFBfGnLIFbYNgNfH_guZVBC0fX55xBq6_R7NER0us

Another essay from a striker: https://communemag.com/become-unreasonable/

Closing song: Lost Kids - Cola Freaks

The gang delves into some of the discourse around Bernie, Warren and "intersectionality" to figure out just what liberal pundits mean when they say that word.

Closing song: Kayla Nicole - Move Like A Snake

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