Worth Reading

Where There's Smoke; The Danger of Words and Concepts

It isn't that the promotion of a concept like being
'brilliant, beautiful, divine creatures' is a bad notion.

It's that such ideas need not be dependent on a
specific set of rituals and subservience. The results
of loving one's self and being content come from
internally, not externally.

There is no one's permission--earthly or otherwise--
required for people to begin caring for self. No one's
forgiveness required. No one's approval nor control
needed for folks to start loving themselves.

The idea that the key to freedom is through protocol
or one exclusive school of thought or following precisely
in others' footsteps is erroneous as well as dangerous.

Take care of yourself...
Believe in yourself...
No gimmicks required.
No allegiances prescribed.
No more declaring yourself worthless or mentally deficient or
insane or lousy or whatever cluster fuck of low self-esteem
helped bring you low in the first place.

You're just human.
Roll with it.

***************************************************

Consistency & Double Standards

People in A.A. and Al-Anon in particular like to
point to a theory prescribed in the Big Book as
'other people's opinions being none of their business.'
In other words; Mind Your Own Business.

(A little contradictory, given that the whole purpose
of the organization has become to insert themselves
wholly into other people's business. But, seeing as how
the Big Book never advocated or even mentioned
having sponsors, no actual conflict there.)

Nonetheless, this ideal of 'not interfering' is used to
overlook (and be complicit about) abuses that occur
within the program. In fact, abuses that are promoted by
the very structure and dynamic of such a program.

Members can see evil being done by a predator and
simply cover their eyes, ears, and mouth. Look the
other way and avoid responsibility because the Doctrine
of Bill Wilson told them to.

Done. Justified. Verily, as if the Lord Hizzonor himself
had decreed it.

So predators get a free pass and victims get no help.

So I got to thinking how that "M.M.O.B." standard
would play for these folks in the real world, all things being
equal. (And, 12 Step definitely being detached from the
real world.)

If they hear someone in an alley being raped, they will
mind their business and not call for help or intervene?

If their neighbors house catches fire, will they just turn
over and go back to sleep?

See a store being robbed while they're driving and just
ignore it and turn up the radio?

Or is this just more ill-conceived self-deceiving contradictory
craziness from the minds of dry drunks, designed to further
falsely promote the sense of righteousness and infallibility of
the vaunted Program? To ensure that the predators who run
the joint continue to get away with every dark deed, and play
off the silence as 'spirituality?'

As if.

*****************************************************************************

Truth in Advertising

Psychopathy and sociopathy can't be healed or cured...
but they can be utilized to the maximum in an environment
designed to create supplicancy and victimization.

Autonomy, anonymity, seclusion, inclusiveness, and
self-importance. A giant mistake for those considered
'the worst of the worst.' Who of these could deny the siren
call of potential wrong doing?

Convincing others to trust and demure themselves to
the least likely candidates imaginable is a recipe for
disaster. 12 Steps provides the perfect parameters for
providing prey to the predators predominant in the program.

Like leading lambs to the slaughter.

12 Step Programs are not governed or monitored in
any fashion; they promise the moon and are bound in no
way by any agency. "If it sounds too good to be true...."
Zero regulation, zero professionalism, zero science.
And despite millions of talking heads promoting the
wonders of the program, nearly zero results.

Your fate and welfare are in the hands of avowed psychos,
criminals, and manipulators....egomaniacs whose only
motivation is self-interest and meddling. Convincing you
of the sales pitch so that you will submit yourself.

A smile and a promise amount to a hill of beans
when gambling with people's lives.

Your care is explicitly not promised, promoted, or in
any way guaranteed. Proceed with extreme caution.

A con artist's most sincere sales pitch will always be that
you can trust them implicitly!

*************************************************