A is for Asinine

I try to keep the discussion at The Discovering Alcoholic apolitical as possible. Obviously this is not possible one hundred percent of the time, but even so I am usually successful in maintaining a focus on the issue instead of the ideology. But not today.

While many of you may be familiar with the AA logo, let me assure you the large “A” represented in the image above is not in any way related. It is the symbol for Anarchism; while there are many anarchist flavors in general they agree upon the belief that society should be organized without a nationalist state. Even though historically those who would create an even worse totalitarian state have wielded similar useful idiots as their disposable foot soldiers of chaos and revolution, these days they seem to be little more than marionettes- media and policy distractions for well funded political movements (cue the irony).

When I came across this article on the news feeds called One for the Resistance, I thought it rather strange that I would sympathize with an anarchist group that had figured out that yes, alcoholism and substance abuse even degrades the effectiveness of a clueless protestor. Quickly though the article took an ominous tone as the author described how the movement could take advantage of alcoholics and addicts to further their own cause. They have now stumbled into my bailiwick and are definitely in a relevant topic… ergo I am allowed to say the A is for asinine.

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Alcohol abuse, if unchecked, can make us anarchists less effective and reduce our chances for successfully organizing[sic] for and defending the revolution. As a seemingly unpolitical[sic] issue, if taken up by us, it could also provide an opportunity for anarchists to secure social insertions in poor and working class communities, by providing a positive example and often lacking role-model, to spread social awareness and to demonstrate anarchist mutual aid and solidarity to people who might otherwise not be interested in nor exposed to anarchist ideas and practice

The big “A” made asinine an obvious choice of words for this group that sees alcoholism as little more than an opportunity for political indoctrination. Even the glancing thought that “at least they would be sober” is rendered meaningless because a group like this has no intention of healing, only in redirecting the anger and hatred that often accompanies the disease.

not just for alcoholics but also for the victims of alcoholism, such as victims of alcohol related domestics violence – could be a way for anarchists to help to turn the anger and discontent of exploited and oppressed people away from being directed at themselves and one another, and focus it at the cause of their misery; class and hierarchical oppression.

I am already bracing myself for the e-mail from AA haters that will claim that this is similar to the religious conversion already occurring in the 12 step meetings. Sure this happens, but I would argue from experience that it happens far less than is suggested by these people who seem to hate religion to an almost unhealthy degree. You can find a few bad acorns everywhere, and even a diseased tree every once in a while but this is no reason to hate the forest. It’s a bad analogy, and not even close to a group that would make its stated purpose to take advantage of those suffering from alcoholism.

So I will leave all with a few choice words from a recovering alcoholic that cares not for those “enlightened” political activists that see this disease as a means to an ill-thought out end.

Anarchists suck.