What is mutual aid? Joshua Potash helps me answer this question in an episode that connects the dots between mutual aid, capitalism and policing. We examine the anarchist origins of the term before we discuss how the practice of mutual aid can help us start to build a world outside of capitalism.
Joshua Potash is an anticapitalist abolitionist who helped to found WSP Mutual Aid – a group that provides food, tenets, sweep defense, and other support for folks experiencing houselessness. He also works for Slow Factory, an institute that uses science, education, and regenerative design to advance climate justice and social equity. I am constantly sharing Joshua’s brilliant takes from Twitter, where he uses his following to shine light on issues like policing, activism, and the rise of fascism.
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Reading list:
Solidarity Not Charity, Dean Spade
Mutual Aid, Dean Spade
Mutual Aid: A Factor in Evolution by Peter Kropotkin
Jackson Rising
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Mutual Lemon-Aid
(spirit -free mocktail)
Makes one drink
1 Large lemon
60 ml Juice from the one lemon
40 ml Sugar
250 ml Water
small pinch of salt
Optional: 1 cardamom pod
Makes approximately 2 liters of Lemonade
6 Large lemons
350 ml Juice from the 6 lemons
250 ml Sugar
1.5 L Water
large pinch of salt
Optional: 5 cardamom pods
Peel lemons with a vegetable peeler, getting as much of the peel off as possible w/o much white pith. Put the peels in a container & cover with granulated sugar and massage the peels with your hands or a muddler to release the oils into the sugar. Cover & let stand for 3 to 24 hours. Periodically stir to incorporate the oil into the sugar.
Juice the lemons & filter out seeds. After letting peels and sugar sit, add lemon juice, water, & salt. Stir until sugar is incorporated. Strain out lemon peels and chill well before serving. To serve, simply pour over ice and garnish with a lemon peel. Enjoy!
Add your favorite spirit for a boozy option.
Pro tip: take about five cardamom pods and smash to break open. Gently toast the pods in a pan on the stove until fragrant—just a few minutes. Add the pods to the lemon peel and sugar mixture and let steep while the sugar is drawing out the oils from the peels. Remove the pods when you filter out the peels.
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