The Anti-Authoritarian Playbook

03/10/2025

Mutual aid is a form of collective care in which communities come together to share resources, provide for one another’s needs, and build systems of support independent of the state or corporate entities. Unlike charity, which often reinforces hierarchical power structures, mutual aid is based on solidarity, not charity—meaning people help one another as equals, recognizing that we all have a stake in each other’s survival.

Mutual aid networks function outside of or alongside state-controlled institutions and provide essential services, resources, and support without relying on permission from political elites or corporate gatekeepers. Historically, mutual aid has been a lifeline for communities marginalized by capitalism, white supremacy, and state violence.

Key Takeaways: Mutual Aid as a Political Martial Art

• It breaks dependence on authoritarian institutions by providing food, healthcare, and other resources outside state control.
• It neutralizes economic punishment by ensuring people can survive repression without surrendering to coercion.
• It builds community power and strengthens movements that challenge authoritarianism.
• It provides the logistical backbone for resistance, sustaining activists, protest movements, and oppressed communities.

How to Start or Support a Mutual Aid Network in Your Community

• Identify Local Needs: Food insecurity, eviction defense, bail funds, disaster relief, community defense, childcare, etc.
• Find Existing Groups: Many mutual aid networks already exist—plug in and support their efforts.
• Create Local Resource Sharing: Distribute supplies, provide skill-sharing, or help with transportation and housing needs.
• Build Solidarity, Not Charity: Mutual aid is about collective care, not saviorism. Listen to community needs and work as equals.
  Defend Mutual Aid from Criminalization: Authoritarians often try to shut down mutual aid efforts—be prepared to defend and protect them.

Final Thought: Mutual Aid Is an Act of Defiance

Mutual aid is not just about helping people—it is about undermining systems of oppression, weakening authoritarian control, and building power from below. History shows that when people take care of each other, they take power away from those who exploit and oppress them.