Why we need a solidarity economy now | (www.resilience.org)

submitted 4 days ago by stabby_cicada@slrpnk.net to c/solarpunk@slrpnk.net

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As people across the United States face massive cuts to Medicaid, SNAP and other vital programs, many are asking: What happens when the systems we rely on fail us? And what happens when our communities are torn apart by toxic inequality, political fragmentation and declining social trust?

The solution may lie in something that humans have been doing throughout our existence: taking care of each other, often without realizing it. Today that’s what some of us call the “solidarity economy.”

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[-] stabby_cicada@slrpnk.net 4 points 4 days ago

Distance also matters a lot. I know where a bunch of little free libraries (no trademark) are in my community, but I don't visit them because they're too far away - I can check out books from Libby, I'm not going to take a bus ride for free books 😆

So advertising something like a free farm stand has diminishing returns, because you're going to reach a lot of people for whom the stuff at the stand isn't worth the time and effort to get to even if it's free.

Which is to say, instead of creating a farm stand and then trying to advertise it, one might want to figure out what the people in walking distance want in a farm stand first. Then you set up an email chain or something similar and let the locals know what's ripe when.

[-] curbstickle@anarchist.nexus 2 points 4 days ago

I'm not going to take a bus ride for free books

Yeah this isnt that kind of town, and nothing is "far away". I'm down the street from a shipping warehouse, multiple farms, and medical buildings.

There is a lot around, but if its not on the major roads, you don't know unless you know, which is what I'm pointing out is an issue. Same went for the last town, you could walk to my home from the trail in less than 5 minutes. More of an awareness issue than anything else.

And, as I said - there is zero reason not to do both.

this post was submitted on 26 Sep 2025

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