Actually, if you read my posts carefully you will see there is nothing contradictory whatsoever. I attended AA during and shortly after my incarceration at Straight. As my Straight brainwashing wore off i realized that I was not an addict and consequently I stopped attending the meetings. This is my problem with getting children and convincing them that they are powerless addicts. It becomes self fulfilling as discussed in the the latest article by Maia Szalavitz. Those who weren't at Straight will probably never understand how powerful the brainwashing was there. I consider myself lucky to have been able to shake off their mind-fucking and not become the drug-addict they wanted me to be. Yes, Straight inc specialized in CREATING drug addicts.
No argument out of me, Straight did tell many folks they were addicts and alcoholics and they weren't. As you said they went on to tell folks about a "powerlessness" that was sick and twisted.
Shaggy I have many friends who went through Straight here in Georgia, no I don't profess to be a expert on Straight because of this, I went through Elan and Joe Ricci (owner) hated AA and its principles. He probably needed it more then anyone I know the coke head, alcoholic he was. I mention knowing Straight folks to let you know that I can relate to what you are saying.
Now I read just about everything Maia writes if not all, have been for awhile. She even acknowledges that AA can help some and that is all AA is helping, some. AA is world wide and only acknowledges 2 million members not that much for being world wide.
In 1988 I was a down and out heroin addict and alcoholic, had been off and on since I was 15yrs. I had done well in my life (financially) in spite of my addictions but inside I was close to killing myself. I was a functional addict. Well I finally woke up and took the right action.
AA was a great opportunity for me to educate myself, meet others with the same afflictions and grow up together. It beat doing it alone, my wife at the time was not into to helping me anymore, she did not leave but she just stepped out of the way (so to speak) and let me grow up on my own.
AA has been so distorted over the years at times I don't even recognize it anymore. One thing I do know it is free and always will be. You are free to walk in and walk out of a meeting, I would not want it any other way.