"Not work so often" would rather imply that they barely work at all - in spite of evidence to the contrary.

Whether the product is up-market grocery sales, bicycles, or off-shore wind, the point is the same - the co-op model can work in spite of a hostile environment, and will work even more successfully in a supportive one.

Since your primary point is that "the left has no alternatives" you have no credibility on this. The left does have alternative narratives, and has done for decades.

What the left has lacked is the political muscle and media air cover to put those alternatives into practice against power structures that use violence, lies, intimidation, infiltration, propaganda, and noobs posting on message boards to make their points for them.

The last time the left had that muscle to change the culture we had state pensions, state healthcare, massive investment, and the welfare state.

On the next iteration we'll have more of the same, and sustainable participatory finance and business as well.

The fact that the so-called centrists are going to have to be elbowed out of the way to make that possible is an unfortunate but temporary inconvenience.