Article 92: Dual Power Strategies: Building Counter-Institutions for Liberation
Opening: Two Powers Cannot Coexist Forever
Every society has power. Under capitalism, power is concentrated in corporations and states. They control resources. They make decisions. They enforce rules. We live under their power.
But we can build our own power. We can create institutions that serve us instead of them. We can build cooperatives, commons, communities, and networks that operate on different principles. Over time, these institutions can become the primary way people meet their needs.
This is dual power. Two systems exist side by side. One is capitalist and statist. The other is cooperative and communal. They compete. They conflict. Eventually, one becomes dominant.
This is not theory. It is strategy. The civil rights movement built dual power through Black churches, businesses, and organizations. The Zapatistas built dual power in Chiapas. Cooperatives worldwide build dual power economically.
This article explores dual power strategies. You will learn what dual power means, how to build counter-institutions, how to prepare for transition, and real examples. By the end, you will understand that liberation requires building power, not just protesting power.
What Is Dual Power
Dual power is a strategy of building alternative institutions that can eventually replace existing ones. The term comes from revolutionary movements, but the strategy applies to any liberation struggle.
Core Concepts
Parallel institutions:
We build institutions that do the same things as capitalist ones, but differently. Cooperatives do what businesses do, but democratically. Commons do what markets do, but through sharing. Communities do what states do, but through mutual aid.
Counter-power:
These institutions constitute power outside capitalist control. They control resources. They make decisions. They serve people. This is counter-power to capitalist power.
Eventual replacement:
The goal is not permanent coexistence. The goal is for alternative institutions to become dominant. For people to rely on them more than capitalist institutions. For them to become the default way needs are met.
Non-sectarian:
Dual power does not require everyone to agree on politics. People join cooperatives for good jobs. They join credit unions for better rates. They join commons for free resources. Political transformation happens through participation.
Dual Power vs. Other Strategies
Not only protest:
Protest challenges power. Dual power builds alternative power. Both are needed. Protest without building leaves no alternative. Building without protest accepts enclosure.
Not only service:
Charity serves people within capitalism. Dual power builds institutions people own. Charity creates dependency. Dual power creates self-determination.
Not only education:
Education changes minds. Dual power changes material conditions. Both matter. But ideas without institutions are abstract. Institutions make ideas concrete.
Not waiting:
Dual power does not wait for revolution to build alternatives. It builds now. It creates facts on the ground. It makes transition possible.
Why Dual Power Matters
Dual power addresses fundamental problems with other strategies.
Material Foundation for Liberation
Liberation requires material foundation. People need food, housing, healthcare, and income. If these are controlled by capital, people are dependent. If these are controlled collectively, people are free.
Dual power builds collective control over material needs. Cooperatives provide income democratically. Housing cooperatives provide housing affordably. Commons provide resources freely. This is material foundation for liberation.
Example: The Mondragon cooperatives provide 80,000 people with livelihoods. This is material power. It is not dependent on capitalist employers. It is foundation for autonomy.
Reducing Dependency on Capital
Capitalist power works through dependency. Workers depend on employers for income. Consumers depend on corporations for goods. Residents depend on landlords for housing. This dependency is power.
Dual power reduces dependency. Workers own their workplaces. Communities own housing. Commons provide resources. People are less dependent on capital. Capital has less power over them.
Example: A worker cooperative member cannot be fired by a boss. They can only be removed by fellow members. This reduces dependency. It increases freedom.
Building Capacity for Self-Governance
Capitalist institutions teach hierarchy. Bosses decide. Workers obey. This is training in submission.
Dual power institutions teach self-governance. Members decide together. They rotate responsibilities. They learn democratic skills. This is training in freedom.
Example: People who participate in cooperatives learn to make decisions democratically. They carry these skills into other areas of life. They become capable of self-governance.
Creating Crisis Resilience
When capitalism crises, people suffer. Jobs disappear. Housing is lost. Needs go unmet. This is vulnerability.
Dual power creates resilience. Cooperatives retain workers during downturns. Commons provide when markets fail. Communities support members. This is resilience.
Example: During the 2008 financial crisis, cooperatives had lower failure rates than conventional businesses. They retained workers. They continued serving communities. They were infrastructure for resilience.
Making Transition Possible
Revolution requires transition. Old institutions must be replaced by new ones. If there are no new institutions, transition is chaos. If there are new institutions, transition is transformation.
Dual power prepares transition. Alternative institutions already exist. They already serve people. They can scale. Transition becomes manageable.
Example: If a community has cooperative businesses, credit unions, housing cooperatives, and commons, it can function with minimal capitalist infrastructure. Transition is easier.
Real Examples: Dual Power in Action
Dual power strategies have been used throughout history. Here are real examples.
Historical Examples
Paris Commune (1871):
Workers took control of Paris. Built alternative institutions. Lasted two months. Showed working class self-governance is possible.
Spanish Revolution (1936-1939):
Anarchists built dual power in Catalonia. Factories were collectivized. Land was collectivized. Communities self-governed. Millions participated. Crushed by fascists and Stalinists. Showed dual power at scale is possible.
Civil Rights Movement:
Black churches, businesses, and organizations constituted dual power. They provided material support. They organized resistance. They built Black power. Foundation for civil rights gains.
Zapatistas (1994-present):
Indigenous communities in Chiapas, Mexico built autonomous territories. Self-governance. Cooperative economics. Alternative education and healthcare. Over 25 years of autonomy. Ongoing dual power.
Contemporary Economic Dual Power
Mondragon Corporation (Spain):
Federation of worker cooperatives. 80,000 worker-owners. Own bank. Own university. Own social security system. Parallel economic infrastructure. Demonstrates dual power at scale.
Cooperative Home Care Associates (US):
Largest worker cooperative in the US. 2,000 worker-owners. Provides home care. Better wages and conditions than industry standard. Alternative to exploitative home care industry.
Credit Unions:
130 million Americans belong to credit unions. Financial infrastructure outside capitalist banking. Member-owned. Democratically controlled. Billions in assets under democratic control.
Community Land Trusts:
Over 300 CLTs in the US. Remove land from speculative market. Provide permanent affordability. Alternative to capitalist land ownership.
Contemporary Social Dual Power
Mutual Aid Networks:
Flourished during COVID. Communities support each other directly. Food distribution. Rent assistance. Childcare. Healthcare support. Parallel to state welfare.
Transformative Justice:
Communities address harm without police. Accountability without punishment. Alternative to carceral system.
Alternative Education:
Freedom schools. Democratic schools. Homeschool cooperatives. Unschooling networks. Alternative to state and private education.
Contemporary Technological Dual Power
Open Source Software:
Linux, Apache, Wikipedia. Critical infrastructure held as commons. Not controlled by corporations. Parallel to proprietary software.
Mesh Networks:
Community-owned internet. Independent from corporate ISPs. Alternative infrastructure.
Platform Cooperatives:
Driver-owned ride share. Worker-owned freelance platforms. Alternative to extractive platforms.
Building Dual Power
Building dual power is concrete work. Here is how to approach it.
Map Existing Power
Understand what institutions control your community.
Economic power:
- Major employers
- Banks and financial institutions
- Landlords and property owners
- Retail and service providers
Political power:
- Local government
- State and federal representation
- Regulatory bodies
- Police and enforcement
Social power:
- Media
- Religious institutions
- Educational institutions
- Healthcare providers
Identify Opportunities
Where can alternatives be built?
Economic opportunities:
- Workplaces that could be cooperatives
- Communities that could have credit unions
- Land that could be community-owned
- Markets that could be served cooperatively
Social opportunities:
- Communities that could have mutual aid
- Harm that could be addressed through transformative justice
- Education that could be community-controlled
- Healthcare that could be community-based
Technological opportunities:
- Infrastructure that could be commons
- Platforms that could be cooperatives
- Knowledge that could be shared
Build Institutions
Start building. Begin small. Grow over time.
Cooperatives:
- Worker cooperatives for livelihoods
- Consumer cooperatives for purchasing
- Housing cooperatives for shelter
- Credit unions for finance
Commons:
- Open source software and knowledge
- Community gardens and land
- Tool libraries and equipment
- Seed libraries and food
Community institutions:
- Mutual aid networks
- Alternative education
- Transformative justice processes
- Community healthcare
Connect Institutions
Dual power is stronger when institutions are connected.
Economic ecosystems:
- Cooperatives bank at credit unions
- Cooperatives buy from other cooperatives
- Housing cooperatives near worker cooperatives
- Local currencies to keep wealth circulating
Knowledge sharing:
- Shared training programs
- Shared documentation
- Shared technology platforms
- Cross-pollination of ideas
Political coordination:
- Cooperative federations
- Movement networks
- Shared advocacy
- Mutual support during crises
Prepare for Transition
Dual power prepares for eventual transition.
Scale alternatives:
- Replicate successful models
- Train organizers and leaders
- Build infrastructure that can scale
- Document what works
Build relationships:
- With communities
- With workers
- With other movements
- With sympathetic insiders
Develop transition plans:
- How would workplaces be converted?
- How would land be transferred?
- How would services be maintained?
- How would governance work?
Challenges of Dual Power
Dual power faces real challenges. Understanding them prepares you to address them.
State Repression
States may repress dual power institutions. They threaten state monopoly on power.
Responses:
- Build legal protections (cooperatives are legal)
- Build broad support (harder to repress popular institutions)
- Build international connections (repression has costs)
- Know your rights
- Build defense capacity
Capitalist Competition
Capitalist firms may undercut alternatives. They have more capital. They can sustain losses.
Responses:
- Compete on values and quality, not just price
- Build loyal membership
- Find niches capitalists ignore
- Collaborate with other alternatives
- Educate on true costs
Internal Contradictions
Alternative institutions can reproduce capitalist patterns. Hierarchy. Extraction. Exclusion.
Responses:
- Build strong democratic governance
- Commit to anti-oppression practice
- Regular reflection and adjustment
- Accountability to communities served
Burnout
Building dual power is demanding. Activists burn out. Institutions fail.
Responses:
- Build sustainable organizations
- Rotate responsibilities
- Care for each other
- Celebrate wins
- Know when to rest
Co-optation
Capitalism co-opts alternatives. "Cooperative" becomes marketing. Commons are enclosed.
Responses:
- Maintain clear principles
- Build strong governance
- Stay connected to movements
- Call out co-optation
- Build power
Get Started: Build Dual Power
If you want to build dual power, begin with these steps:
1. Map your community
What institutions exist? Who controls them? Where are opportunities for alternatives?
2. Join existing efforts
Find cooperatives, commons, mutual aid. Participate. Learn. Support. You do not need to start everything.
3. Start small
A buying club. A tool share. A study group. Prove the concept. Grow from there.
4. Build connections
Connect with other efforts. Build networks. Share resources. Coordinate action.
5. Think long-term
Dual power is not quick. It is patient work. Institutions take years to build. Cultures take decades to change. This is okay.
6. Prepare for transition
Document what works. Train others. Build infrastructure that can scale. Think about how alternatives could become dominant.
Resources
Organizations:
- Cooperation Works: cooperationworks.coop
- US Federation of Worker Cooperatives: usfwc.coop
- P2P Foundation: p2pfoundation.net
- Commons Network: commonsnetwork.org
Education:
- "Dual Power" by Victoria Law and others
- "The Dual Power Strategy" by various authors
- "We Build the Road" by Scott Crow
- "Emergent Strategy" by adrienne maree brown
Networks:
- Cooperative federations
- Mutual aid networks
- Movement networks in your area
Closing: Build Power
Liberation requires power. Not just protesting power. Not just critiquing power. Building power.
Dual power builds counter-institutions. They serve people. They operate democratically. They reduce dependency on capital. They prepare transition.
This is not the only strategy. But it is essential. Without alternative institutions, revolution is only destruction. With them, revolution is transformation.
Look at your community. What institutions could you build? What power could you create?
Build it. Connect it. Prepare for transition.
The revolution is dual power.
The next article covers prefigurative politics. We will explore how to embody the future we want in our present practice, how means and ends align, and how to live liberation now.
For now, look at what power you can build. What institution could you create? What counter-power could you construct?
Build dual power.