So you want to start a revolution? Well, we’d all love to see the plan…and here it is! From someone who started an organization that has been feeding the poor and contributing to nonviolent social and political change for nearly have a century, no less! Today on Solutions Watch, James talks to Keith McHenry about the history of Food Not Bombs and how to build a successful revolutionary movement.
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SHOW NOTES
Arizona Grandmother Arrested For Feeding The Homeless In Public Park
Group arrested for feeding homeless
Volunteers feeding the homeless are ticketed by police in Texas
Man arrested for feeding homeless gets payout from city
Leadership Lessons from Dancing Guy
Escaping the Madhouse – #SolutionsWatch
Swarmwise by Rick Falkvinge
Interview 1429 – James Corbett and Liberty Weekly Recommend Books
Seven Steps to Starting a Food Not Bombs Chapter
The FBI declared Food Not Bombs a National Security Threat on August 29, 1988
SOUP STREET: A memoir by Food Not Bombs co-founder Keith McHenry
Hungry for Peace by Keith McHenry
So happy to see Food Not Bombs featured on Solutions Watch!
I’ve witnessed their vigilante humanitarianism 20 years ago when I lived in Long Beach California. I’ve met many great, altruistic souls, taking time out of their busy schedules to feed hungry people.
This is absolutely a courageous and wonderful organization!
Since w’ere talking revolution, I’ll just say it again.
Everything’s a scam.
Everything’s a lie.
Everything’s hypocrisy,
and so you don’t comply.
It begins with YOU! DISOBEY – Do what you know is right.
Mr. Corbett or Mr. Shaun,
The YouTube video for this #SolutionsWatch does not have a website link to this episode:
https://corbettreport.com/how-to-start-a-revolution/
~~~~~~~~~~~
Keith McHenry is an amazing guy!
His backstory is jaw-dropping.
If the good guys got awarded medals, Keith would get an anarchist highest decoration, like a true “Medal of Honor.”
Thanks for the tip, HRS. The link has been added.
Great interview with Keith McHenry – Food not Bombs. Got me to thinking about a guy called Luke at MIgardner who recently posted a video about grafting edible fruit to non edible trees in public parks. Here is the link https://youtu.be/THx3iZ5Pcgs “I Tried Guerilla Grafting In Parks by Grafting Edible Fruit onto INVASIVE Ornamental Trees”. It’s a great idea to feed the homeless and anyone else who is hungry. Luke show you how to graft.
Exceptional episode James, thanks for this.
Keith, if you are reading this, thank you for what you do. I would describe your path in this life as a lived prayer, sending out unstoppable ripple effects into the collective consciousness of our human family.
I tried to give away the (good) food they were telling me to throw in the dumpster to families that needed it when I worked in a produce department in a grocery store as a kid and they fired me (telling me it was too risky for legal reasons). That only inspired me to scale up my food gifting efforts in future years (and I imagine it influenced my heirloom seed gifting endeavors today). So this idea very much resonates with me, and I am grateful to know that other people managed to take this gift economy for food idea to another level. Beautiful.
Good timing James.
With all the current madness going on some direction towards unifying not destroying is a welcome change.
Not having a charismatic leader ? Wonders never seize up. They just flow like water around immovable objects… This saying comes to mind. I don’t know why exactly but Terrorists with Food is like Bullets with Butterfly Wings .
I must have heard it song somewhere.
The USA citizens should be organizing a Terrorists With Food campaign to feed the Iranian population. Screw their secret police and our Zionist War Dept.. We should be carpet bombing Tehran with food and water and begging their citizens forgiveness. I have had some hard conversations with some Right Wing Catholic Conservatives who aren’t too concerned with Trump and the terror being inflicted on Iran.
A little Cancel Charizma Movement would be a blessing right now.
PS~ CQ ! can you imagine the suffering of all the animals , pets and livestock in Iran today?
The animals’ suffering, like all war-caused suffering of the innocent, is insufferable to me, GBW. Thank you for including them in your heartfelt comment.
May this universally widespread need for a charismatic leader continue to fade away and we’ll eventually reach a significant level of maturity as a species.
He is not a Communist.
He is a Karmanist.
For several years in the early 2000s I belonged to a vegan meetup group whose members signed up on designated weekend evenings to help the regular crew of Food Not Bombs cook dinner, drive the meals downtown, set up tables, and serve the food near our large city’s main library.
At various times I brought homemade vegan sandwiches, cookies or brownies, and sometimes lemonade. Others who are handier in the kitchen than I am made hearty vegan soups, spaghetti, chili, and casseroles. (One of the principles this particular FNB group insisted upon was that all of the food and drinks be 100% vegan.)
I remember to this day some of the people I met at these dinners. They were from all walks of life, from all countries, and from all generations.
The police never showed up or even drove by. We weren’t seen as a terrorist organization or as a bunch of anarchist troublemakers. Everyone was respectful of one another and grateful to be with one another. The atmosphere was marked by humility, courtesy, and simple humanity. No one complained. No one was arrogant. No one acted like they were owed anything. No one was inebriated or even smelled of alcohol.
In short, it felt like we were a bunch of new friends and old friends meeting at mealtime to enjoy one another’s company. (Yes, of course hunger pangs needed to be alleviated on those evenings, and they always were.)
I didn’t like standing on the server side of the table, as if there were a divide between “givers” and “given to.” Instead, I preferred mingling with diners and handing out finger food (which some people saved for later) by standing on what might be called “the other side.” That seemed like a more natural way to chat and laugh about this and that, to huddle close on cold nights, and to ensure that everyone had enough to eat.
I admire Keith McHenry. I admire everyone who, like him, has been involved in Food Not Bombs for many years . . . who makes the rounds picking up produce (and sometimes pans of hot food) at restaurants and grocery stores week after week . . . who contributes to the nourishing and delicious meals from their own pockets and with their own ovens . . . and who walks their talk about “nonviolence” by extending compassion to all sentient beings.
Bootiful 🙂 IRL is where it’s at!
Put me in mind of some photos I came across showing the Diggers sharing food & getting together, when I was mashing up this short music’y vid:
https://rumble.com/vrnruv-babylon-is-fallen-to-rise-no-more.html
FYI
I just ordered a copy of Keith’s book and then tried to become a paid subscriber to also support his endeavors on Substack and got a weird error message i have not seen before.
It said “This Connect account cannot currently make live charges. The requirements disabled reason property on the account will provide information about why this account is currently disabled…”
I am not having any trouble charging paid subscriptions for Substack to my card for other people so I assume this is not on my end and wanted to give Keith a heads up.
So if your reading this Keith, looks like donations via your Substack are being blocked somehow.
Let us know if there is some other way we can donate.
@G
Very strange. Just tried to login to my Proton email application 8:48 PM 4/08/26 and a little red drop down box at the bottom of the screen showed up for a few seconds so I couldn’t read it all but what I saw was:
>>Payment processor temporarily unavailable…>>
I have auto pay with them but…??
The first time I had an email was in 1992 or so. I used gmail. One night in my office at Cahunga/Hollywood Blvd I was exchanging emails with a musician buddy in Australia, and mentioned “Kangaroo” and the next time I used gmail there were ads for Kangaroo belts, shoes, etc. That was when I knew “they” were tracking us.
Now as of today’s incident. I had gone on Corbett to read some of the comments. And yours above of course mentioned
>>This Connect account cannot currently make live charges>>
So just how much does the AI harvest? I mean because we have had interchange comments before does it catalog all interactions and then track??
Food Not Bombs is also a great way to meet like minded people while traveling the US and Canada on the cheap. If there isn’t a FNB in your neighborhood start one!
Thanks James, always something constructive and instructive going on your site. Even i’m mostly a spectator and not often a participant, I’m always learning new things to pass onto my children and other people. I had never heard of Food Not Bombs or Keith McHenry, but he is an inspiring person.
Firstly feeding the homeless is of the most importance and we need to communicate to local councils to what areas groups are allowed to to operate there services to people in need so let’s all pray for a peaceful outcome to this current dilemma
The real reason for the moon mission (funny)
https://media.scored.co/post/VcAX3TvMkLQT.jpeg
Started fine until McHenry mentioned being a Nuclear Power protester.
He ain’t too bright. Nuclear power is the cheapest, safest power source there is. Everyone thinks Nuclear power and Nuclear weapons are dangerous. BS.
Nuclear Power is safe as it comes. Nuclear weapons DO NOT EXIST. Do the research. I have.
James is undoubtedly familiar with Coluche (Michael Colucci), a French counter culture comedian, MP/TV actor, social activist who began Restos du Coeur in 1985. When he announced the venture he asked for donations. Because of his celebrity, word spread quickly. Volunteers began gathering surplus food from restaurants. It soon became an organizaation with adjuncts in 119 Departments listing 40,000 volunteers. Much the same idea as Food Not Bombs except: 1) It was based on a personality; 2) It’s a charity; 3) Accepts monetary donations; 4) Soup kitchens sponsored by restaurants; 5) It’s a national organization with a governing body; 6) Donors receive tax breaks; 7) Supported by both public and private funds.
Coluche, a passionate motorcycle racer, was killed June 19, 1986 when a truck suddenly pulled out in front of him while he was racing down a country back road.
Six years previously, October 30, 1980 he held a press conference announcing his candidacy for president. Two months later a poll showed 16% of the populace would vote for him. However, Francois Mitterand (who became president) wasn’t the only one who considered Coluche a serious threat to the status quo. After receiving several death threats, Coluche withdrew.
Both James and Keith have made it this far because the distribution of information (James) and food (Keith) have been the primary focus. Not money. Although James has thousands of subscribers world wide, it was never his intention to put finance first. Same with Keith. Dharma and dharma. The first represents universal laws governing creation. Personal dharma (Rama of the Ramayana a prime example) applying to those who follow their chosen path impeccably, with a pure heart. The Universe will generally support those with a commitment to selfless action who can’t be intimidated into making an unskillful choice.
It reminds me of Peace Pilgrim (peacepilgrim.org) who began her life as Mildred Norman in July 1908. In 1952, subsequent to walking the entire Appalachian Trail, followed by a 45 day fast, yearning to make a difference, one night she took a walk in the moonlight until she found an open glade. Standing silently, looking up at the sky, she made a plea to the night: “If you can use me, use me!”. She immediately received a vision of herself wearing a blue tunic with PEACE PILGRIM in white letters on the back walking across America. She bagan the first pilgrimage January 1st, 1953 in front of the Rose Parade in Pasadena and continued walking. She never accepted money or asked for food and only carried a pen and paper. By 1964 she had walked 25,000 miles for peace. After that, she stopped counting. She died in 1986. In a documentary about her life, one man who had become a friend, stated with reverence after her death: “The power of a life lived like that!” Peace said: “Every good thing you do, every good thing you say, every good thought you think, vibrates on and on and never ceases”
Is a revolution successful if it makes the problem worse after 50 years? I live in Santa Cruz, where Keith does, and the Town Clock where they do their distribution has just been enclosed in wire fencing. The sidewalk is no longer accessible for pedestrians. Their advocacy for the homeless has resulted in downtown as a scary place. So small local businesses have customers avoiding them and instead going to the mall–where there are no homeless. We now have every big street corner where cars are waiting at the lights with homeless soliciting on them–sometimes men who are shouting and threatening. I’ve been tempted to run red lights just to get away. The parks have been given over to the homeless, so that they’re no longer used by families. Young people born here are reluctant to raise their kids here, even if they could afford it, because it’s become too unsafe.
Should people be able to inhabit any town they like while those who were born there are driven out? People thousands of miles away from their own families have nothing to lose. We who are raising children here have everything to lose and nowhere else to go.
If Keith and his catchy name were implementing a stop gap measure while working on a solution, I might be for it. But the way to make sure your revolution keeps going is to feed the problem. They could be supporting the many established homeless kitchens in the area–in places that are accessible to the homeless but not public parks, pedestrian walkways and local downtowns. However, that wouldn’t accomplish his virtue-signaling purpose of shaming the people he thinks he’s better than–including those who volunteer at kitchens where someone visibly inebriated or drugged might not be welcome to mix with those children he keeps talking about. Although I’ve never seen them at our Food Not Bombs. They tend to say in the Family Shelters where they have services.
If Keith wants to give away food in his front yard and his neighbors are fine with it, that’s anarchy. If he’s taking public spaces away from communities to inflate his own ego, that’s undermining their sovereignty. How can anarchy mean forcing others to do what you want them to do? That’s contradictory, James. We need system change, which is what my focus is, not showmanship at someone else’s expense.
terez
You put a thought provoking argument together. The thoughts I have in reading you is one of the pillars of this Nation. Economics. Economics are ubiquitous throughout this nation. Another “E” word bandied about but not a pillar , but merely a footstool; Equality. The Economics of Equality. Better described as the Economics of Petulance.
The age old Final Solution for the byproduct of gross accumulations. Homelessness, demoralized spirits, mental crush. How to Make them go away ? Make them , force them to become a Horatio Alger character of rags to riches. But never equally rich. How can we get the community to give up their excess profits and force them to stop buying toys of pleasure? Bombs. Children act like children. Convincing children to give their excesses to buy just a minute of comfort for the poor souls who has none. It’s a learned behavior. California has excess comfort , comfortable weather, but mostly comfortable economics. Comfortable untill someone says I want to be free of the comfortable life. It’s their choice and it forces the backers of the comfortable lifestyle to put a price on their discomfort over your Freedom. Private property doesn’t have to share anything. Not even the waste of its creation which ironically is the product most shared with the public common good. The excess trash including the human Carnage byproduct. Some can’t figure out how can a bag of skin keep alive despite every manner and obstacle thrown in their way to end them ? We depend on children to decide. The Governor Gruesome or the Child Commander in Chief of the Orange Deranged.
The final solution? Rebrand the misfits and call them Ultra Orthodox Patriots. Give them free fentanyl instead of a free bio disease and free vaccines. What’s the difference in outcome? One temporarily reliefs the suffering of the moment with the same outcome. But not the same excess profits. Incentivized, privatized and outsource the clean up of bodies like they sweep the beaches before dawn. How far back and how far down is Santa Cruz California willing to go. Putting a fence around city hall says they surrender. So go tear down the fence and make it work for you. That’s leadership. Then fix the unequal economics. You’ll have to take some toys away from some nasty children. There will be nothing for the poor untill a leadership can force corruption out of the temple of government.. It’s not going away by logic or reasoning. So who will have the expense, the reengineering of the pillar Economics. This will take some time. When will the roof collapse? Like all the ruins of the past civilizations to no roof on anything left.