A nice change from the wearisome, ill-informed hysteria I usually stumble across — and from one of those evil “PUA” sites, no less.
Typical freaky-deaky anti-Semitism in the comments, alas.
(I wonder if these fellows have ever met as few girls as they clearly have[n’t] Jews…)
To be clear: AA, which will be eighty years old next year, is without doubt a phenomenal organization that has helped millions of people to stop drinking and to stay stopped. In spite of its liberal use of thew word “God,” the program is spiritual rather than religious, meaning that it is open to those of all faiths and denominations, as well as to atheists. Members are simply encouraged to seek out a higher power of their own understanding, which doesn’t have to be a god from one of the monotheistic religions.
For real alcoholics and addicts (those for whom the idea of will power is a laughable irrelevance) who want to quit using and go on to live a productive life, it is almost certainly the best available form of treatment. I have personally known many people whose lives have been transformed utterly by attending meetings, getting a good sponsor and working through the twelve steps.
The problem is that Brand uses the steps as the basis for Revolution, as though the components of his own personal recovery are fit for purpose for rebuilding global society from the bottom up. Profound personal change brought about by any means can often feel so powerful that the individual it affects imagines that others will be touched similarly.
