The Atlantic and Chris Hayes Get Alcoholics Anonymous Totally Wrong

The Atlantic magazine just published a lengthy piece by author Gabrielle Glaser that challenges the efficacy of Alcoholics Anonymous. Entitled, “The Irrationality of Alcoholics Anonymous,” the article takes aim at the organization and never lets up, and on Wednesday night’s All In with Chris Hayes, the author continued an assault that’s based on a fundamentally flawed premise, and some really bad journalism. The normally excellent, intellectually trustworthy Hayes went along for the ride, and made the same mistakes.

To be clear, this is not a defense of AA; you can like it or not like it, go or don’t go, believe in it or don’t. This is about journalism, which is supposed to be fair and accurate. This piece, and this interview, were neither of those things.

Hayes did get a lot right about AA, pointing out important facts like the low success rate for almost any form of alcohol treatment, and rightly lauding it as “genuinely one of the most remarkable institutions human beings have ever built.”

Unfortunately, he undoes much of that by interviewing two people who obviously know nothing about it. Psychotherapist Dr. Robi Ludwig gives it a decent shot, but is kneecapped by the fundamentally flawed premise. You can watch the full, lengthy segment here, but I’ve put together some highlights of what they got wrong…Read the rest at The Daily Banter[su_fb]

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