system

Abuse and the Addiction System: At the Wheel and Under the Influence
We recognize that people are not born to us with a plan to do harm, but that a society that rewards reckless disregard for others -and every other criterion for diagnosing abusive or psychopathic behavior- socializes people to value profit over any other concern.

Too often, the behaviors of the big moneyed corporation mirror that of a psychopath’s and the rewards for that behavior only increase.

If the corporation-as-person-as-psychopath is the vehicle for getting more of their next fix or rush, then those driving that vehicle more vulnerable to the addiction, “Greed.”

In family psychology, the addiction system is the entire network of those in the lives of the addict who, in some way or another, serve as support for the addiction, unless strong boundaries are drawn in the relationship to an addict who has yet to choose sobriety and recovery.

Like any addiction, the addiction to corporate power and money in politics is only capable of thriving in its host with the support of those who feed it. We all play a role in supporting the addiction system:

Manufacturers:
As compromised workers, consumers and voters, we manufacture the ingredients of the substance and sell it under duress for much less than its true value to the corporate cartels.
Distributors:
The corporate cartels distribute the wealth we produce (as workers and consumers) and the power we concede (as voters)

Pushers:
Lobbyist pushers then move the substance of our wealth and power into the halls of Congress and every elected office or candidate campaign. Once it’s in the veins of our democracy, politicians get hooked, using and abusing it, often feeling controlled by their own addiction.

Enablers:
Instead of demanding sobriety or walking out on those whose addiction has taken control of our home districts and our democracy, compromised consumers, workers and voters often act as enablers, choosing to continue the toxic, abusive and co-dependent relationship with addicts who use our own power against us.
Users:
The path to addiction in humans is: Use-Abuse-Addiction. Not every user or abuser is hooked just yet. Often, those trying to clean-up the mess caused by the addiction are forced to use the substance themselves just to stay in the game. Some are politicians who feel like cannot “unilaterally disarm,” but refuse to lead the way as sober officials. Some are corporate office holders who are driven by a legal system of reward for maximizing profit. And, in a system ruled by addiction, nonprofit groups are usually forced to function in the same way. Most not-for-profit organizations are typically only allowed to support themselves when they address only the symptoms, not the root causes, of the addiction. Otherwise they ate cut-off. We are then forced as a society to institutionalize “the enabler” in a nonprofit industrial complex. Thus, nonprofits are permitted a little “hit” of the wealth, just enough to function and put out thousands of fires while never having the resources to go after the arsonist. Unfortunately, like some in corporate or elected office, well-intentioned organizations, while being forced to “use,” often also serve as system-wide enablers, keeping the house from crumbling completely, while the addiction and the "Gross Domestic Violence" of the addition system rule every aspect our lives.
You can learn more about “One Step Forward, 12 Steps Back” policy-making in our upcoming book, The 12 Step Guide to Recovery from Addiction to Money in Politics.

National Intervention tests the sobriety of those at the wheel of the dominant institution of our time, The Corporation, and those that serve it as addicts to corporate power and money in politics. Then, we organize Interventionist nationwide to call for sobriety and recovery so we can finally balance or replace the toxic impact of this system-wide addiction before it’s too late.

Recovery. Amends. Reparations.

Learn more, then join us.

The Beginning Is Near…

–The National Intervention Coordinating Committee