Addict self and sober self as political metaphor

For years I've been saying that people with an addiction suffer from a divided self: part is addict, part is sober. Seeing and connecting with the sober self inside the addicted person is the key to recovery. (See How Was Your Week, Ch. 2)

Here's a blog that uses the same concept as a political metaphor for the upcoming election. Blogger and CUNY English teacher Aaron Barlow writes,

[W]e are a nation in the grip of addiction. The radical right that rules us right now is simply the addictive side of our national persona. Just watch how it acts, and you’ll see. Possessive, protective of its prerogatives, jealous, quick to anger. Any time conversation turns to its addictions, it changes the subject or excuses itself.

But wait, there's hope:

The nation, like an individual, has a sober person within, trying to take control.

OK, you get the picture. Barlow overworks the metaphor just a little bit, but not too much, and his heart's in the right place. Read his whole blog, Besting Our Addictions, source.