Some observations on the "Recovery Business"

"While your current plague of 'AA' dog and pony shows does involve money as a motive, many such groups don't. Prestige, authority, a sincere belief that the 'right kind' of AA needs to be carried to the heathen; these may be more common, and even more insidious.

'Joe and Charlie' acolytes and Pacific Group clones are recruited face to face more often than at 'shows.' Our local Big Book Comes Alive folks make a great to-do about not being paid (they sell and raffle CDs of AA swamis instead).

Whether they go into the biz or not, attendees at these events are lead to believe that there is a 'secret sauce' version of AA which is somehow more real or 'better than' the real article. The AA they advocate is always one that involves charismatic leadership, abusive styles of sponsorship, overt religiosity and requirements for conformity and obedience from the newcomer. This is the AA of pre-Tradition power-drivers like Clarence S. of Cleveland, not the post-Tradition AA formed to avoid the tragic errors of such groups."

(as usual our thanks to this AA member (US) for their contribution)