They say, "I can quit anytime I want." We say, "Prove it."

Greed is an addiction. Addictions don't live on their own. They need support. Imagine a whole household ruled by the disease of addiction. Everyone plays a role in feeding it. Understanding that addictions to wealth and power are real and potent, and thinking of our society as a household ruled by these addictions, explains a great deal of the dominant operating system of our time, the addiction system: Some in this system are enablers, unable to establish healthy boundaries and stuck in a toxic, abusive, codependent relationship with those controlled by addiction. Some are suffering as addicts themselves. They may use and abuse our own wealth and power against us. In many cases, they are clearly a threat to themselves and to others. In our system, without recovery, addicts often cannot see past the next fix at any cost, and the disease can control everyone and everything necessary to keep the substance flowing. Either way, when they are confronted about the addiction, about the damage it causes, and about options for recovery, all too often the response from the disease can be denial at best and retaliation at worst. They may put all the blame on others instead of showing they're taking responsibility. They may tell us they are all we have, that we should feel lucky to have the relationship we have with them. They may promise to get better but never take the steps toward true recovery. They may use coercion or threats to keep us right where the addiction needs us. We feed it more. The cycle of control and abuse continues. While the separation between all of us grows, connection to one another is the best chance any of us have for recovery. In the face of abuse, and without a sincere willingness to choose recovery, a sustained intervention is necessary from those impacted by the disease. Only together can all those whose lives are ruled by an insatiable addiction gain the strength to overcome it and the system used to feed it.

The "Congressional Sobriety Test"

National Intervention's Sobriety Test on addiction to corporate power and money in politics is the simplest "Pass/Fail" exam that Congress, or anyone, will ever take.  

1. Commit to a constitution that affirms corporations are not people and that campaigns are only publicly financed,
2. Hit send.

You. 

Building a sobriety checkpoint for this 115th Congress means testing every representative. That's where you come in.  Sending the test now to your exact representatives lets us know who is under the influence while behind the wheel of our democracy. If your elected officials fail, you and others in your area can easily become Citizen Sponsors, build your local National Intervention Coordinating Committee, bring an intervention event to your community or campus, and help run sober candidates in your district and state if your representatives need to be checked out of power and into rehab.