Liberalism and the Alcoholic
By BooBooKitty Posted in User Blogs — Comments (8) / Email this page » / Leave a comment »
I have jotted down notes over the course of my 12 years of sobriety when I've had a flash of insight or a profound realization about the disease that nearly killed me. Napkins, sticky notes, and even receipts have been the pages of my diary. Days, weeks, months and even years would pass and I would keep these shards of information until they were misplaced, lost or just too faded to read. These were the keys to unlocking the secrets of my disease and successful recovery, yet for some reason I could not find the time or the assertiveness to combine them into a coherent fashion. I am sure this has probably happened to many recovering alcoholics, who by nature want to help others and in return learn more about themselves. It is always next week or I need to mull this situation over. Something always holds me back, and I never seem to actually get down to the business of writing a single formal sentence on the subject.
Last week I was a having a political discussion with a colleague about the ideology of the left, and without giving it a second thought I blurted out that most liberals were just like alcoholics.
I explained in a cavalier fashion, how like alcoholics, liberals were sharply focused on trying to force the rest of the world into a mold that allows them to feel good about themselves. It is when the world and it inhabitants don't comply with their wishes or follow the guidelines they have envisioned that trouble begins to erupt. A liberal will act self-righteous, overbearing, and even devious in the belief they can self-will the world into a more acceptable arrangement. In a similar fashion and for the same reasons, an alcoholic will drink himself numb to avoid the actuality of his situation. It is extremely easy after a pint of vodka and a twelve-pack of beer to believe your own lies and to feel as if you are in control of the situation. When faced with the hard facts of reality, both will become defensive and lash out at those who dare judge them. When continuously pressed, they will become shrill, or violent and self-destructive causing other problems to divert attention away from themselves. Concerned with external crises that quiet often they caused themselves, they readily concentrate on the plight of others while remaining oblivious of their own failings.
Why? Asked my friend. I gave him a simple one-word answer. Fear.
Fear of being inconsequential. Fear of being powerless. Fear of being wrong. It is the path of least resistance for a liberal to attack what they see as being wrong in the world rather than actually trying to solve the problem. How many liberals out there are considered successful because of what they shriek and how loud instead of by what they accomplish?
A liberal in power is like an alcoholic with just the right buzz on, they can be pleasant and even fun to be around. However, it is rare that anything of any consequence will occur during their tenure. Take away their power, or their alcohol... prepare for the fireworks. Complaining and blaming, then yelling and screaming, and in the worst cases you will get to see an apoplectic fit or the onset of DTs.
I had pushed this whole analogy out in less than a minute with little thought expended and was feeling quite proud of myself. That is until my friend said it sounds like you have gotten this all figured out, why haven't you written a book about alcoholism?
Crestfallen, I had to admit it was because of fear.
of sobriety...Congratulations!
My DOS - September 4th, 1985.
First, congratulations on remaining sober for twelve years. Second, your premise is interesting.
I agree with your assessment that, like alcoholics, liberals are under the delusion that by re-defining the nature of man they can fundamentally alter the world in which they live. The problem is that the nature of man cannot be fundamentally altered, at least not in the manner they want it to be. Economically, most of us will support some level of government services, but we will never agree to the partial or wholesale appropriation of our private property and income for the purpose of creating a society that emphasizes "community" over the individual. Similarly, in foreign affairs, most of us do not believe that the solution to end terrorism is to better "understand" terrorists. Some individuals are so warped that they cannot nor should not be understood. Their worldview(s) are antithetical to ours, and, as such, lack common ground for discussion.
Anyway, just my two cents...
Crestfallen, I had to admit it was because of fear.
There was supposed to be an ironic twist there at the end. Being neither a seasoned writer or a scholar, I sometimes have trouble conveying my thoughts and a clear message to my readers.
The incongruity of my statements about alcoholics and liberals when compared to my own fear of writing this "life goal" book on alcoholism is supposed to be the point where the reader goes:
Haha, he is scared to write a book about himself on a subject that is very near and dear to him, yet his is extremely quick to point out how he is a qualified expert on the "disease" of liberalism.
My point was supposed to be that it is easy to maintain a false sense of security and superiority by focusing on the feats, failures, trials, and tribulations of others. I ended the diary entry with the realization that maybe I should be concentrating on doing something that is important to me, rather than taking disdainful potshots at liberals.
Perhaps your comments are just reinforcing my point?
Nevertheless, I am writing more often in my blog and my RS diary in an attempt to get past my fear and shyness of allowing others to see my work. The more I do it, the more I am confident I will be able to write this book on alcoholism and to be able to share it with others.
An A.A. co-founder's 1952 observations about the man-made Utopia: "With great intelligence, men of science have been forcing nature to disclose her secrets. The immense resources now being harnessed promise such a quantity of material blessings that many have come to believe that a man-made millennium lies just ahead. Poverty will disappear, and there will be such abundance that everybody can have all the security and personal satisfactions he desires. The theory sems to be that once everybody's primary instincts are satisfied, there won't be much left to quarrel about. The world will then turn happy and be free to concentrate on culture and character. Solely by their own intelligence and labor, men will have shaped their own destiny". Bill Wison, page 70 "Twelve Steps and Twelve Traditions" discussion of Step Seven: "Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings".
20 years, that warms my heart to hear.
Alcoholism is a terrible disease, but those that can get past its grasp are rewarded with an insight that makes it very easy to enjoy the little things in life.
Liberals are simply trying to do Jesus' 2nd commandment, to love your neighbor as yourself. This commandment has the practical effect of making the world a better place for everyone. It really is that simple.
Jesus didn't instruct us to simply give up and accept the world as it is. And the reality is that everyone lives in their own mental universe, we see the world not as it is, but as we are. We respond to the world through our beliefs, which can be changed. And so there is great potential to change the world for the better, even given its fallen nature. And that's what Christ told us to do.
I don't think Liberals are any more like an alcoholic than Conservatives or Libertarians or Communists.
I have a lot of friends who I consider pretty liberal (though they will tell you they are "moderate") and I cannot identify any of them with the characteristics you present. I don't think they try to force people into a mold so they will feel better about themselves.
I think they try to accomplish what they believe to be the right things to accomplish. I think Conservatives do the same thing.
For example, when I read your statement --
"When faced with the hard facts of reality, both will become defensive and lash out at those who dare judge them".
The first friend I thought of is a guy who happens to be a very conservative Republican.
I think he lashes out and gets defensive because of some basic insecurity not his political ideology.
I'm not trying to be critical, I'm really just trying to tell you that your projecting certain characteristics on Liberals and those characteristics are no more prevalent on Liberals than on Marxists. You've pointed out some faults and flaws that we all pretty much have.