The trouble with the AntiAA

Don't get me wrong, I think AA stinks. 

AA is a cultish, hypocritical pseudo-religious boy's club masquerading as treatment for an invented disease.

AA presents a false face to the public, refuses to make any effort to stop the rampant exploitation of newcomers by its fellowship, and encourages the violation of constitutional rights by the US courts.

AA's indoctrinated members attempt to silence all critics.

Worst of all, AA has managed to weasel its way into society in such a way as to effectively block the development of more effective treatments, and has blocked referrals by medical and psychiatric professional to alternative treatments that already exist.

Exaggerating the damage caused by AA, or its power, however, can only undermine efforts to convince the public of the harm that AA actually is guilty of. 

Alcoholics Anonymous is many things, but I have never seen anything to make me suspect that it's a "Satanic Cult", a claim made by some AA critics.

Statements like "AA has a negative success rate"and "AA is a death sentence" undermine the AntiAA "movement", if it can even be called a "movement", to the point where I'm very reluctant to have anything further to do with it.

Newcomers get 13 stepped in AA, yes, that's true. 

AA solicits the courts for prospective members, also true, as is the presence of court-ordered criminals of all kinds at meetings, unbeknownst to the other members in attendance.

Yes, there probably Is at least one sexual predator at your AA meeting.

But blaming AA every time someone gets raped or killed outside of AA by a psychopath who just happens to be under a court mandate to attend AA does not lend credence to the very real stories of exploitation within the fellowship.

Being the victim of a home invasion by a couple of criminals who by chance met at an AA meeting is Not the same as being seduced by your AA sponsor.

Hooking up with someone you met at AA, moving in with them, getting shitfaced and beating the crap out of each other is not, in my opinion, something you can or should hold AA responsible for.

Running wild with tales of all the horrible things AA members do may be great fodder for a YouTube flame war, and it's a fun way to get back at the idiotic cult trolls, but it will do little to bring down AA.

If bringing down AA is what you hope to accomplish. 

I don't want to bring down AA. 

I think AA is a great place for narcissistic and hypocritical alcoholics to go instead of to the bar.
If AA keeps a few drunks off the sauce and the highways, that's just fine with me.

I'd like to see AA brought down to size, and exposed for what it really is.

I'd like to see real, effective treatment for chemical dependency become more prevalent.

I'd like to watch AA dwindle into the background.

I'd like to see the court system stop trying to mandate treatment to those who aren't interested.

Most of all, I'd like to see our institutions of higher education stop playing into the AA cult's hands by indoctrinating all up-and-coming psych and med students into believing in the power of the faith-healing steps.

I had a bad time in AA. 

I was referred and re-referred back to AA by professionals, even years after I stopped drinking, and I'm not even an alcoholic.
That happened a long time ago, and it still bothers me, because I know it still goes on.

AA is bad enough as it is. 

It isn't necessary to exaggerate and prevaricate about the damage AA does.

It only makes the AntiAA an easy target for ridicule.

At the same time, I confess:

I like fighting YouTube trolls. 

I won't pretend that I don't enjoy a good flame.

In particular, I like fighting trolls who attempt to discredit and censor what I have to say.

Trolls, especially AA cult apologist trolls, are assholes, and they deserve to be cut off at the ankles.

AA cult member troll attacks gave me the incentive to join the skirmish against AA.

Fighting trolls keeps me involved, no doubt more than is good for Me.

I do not make up wolf stories about AA

Every horror story I tell is something I saw with my own two eyes.

If you want to slay the Dragon,
don't try to make it out to be something that it's not.

No group think allowed;
not AA group think, not AntiAA group think.

And I'll probably Never stop fighting trolls.

Flame On!