Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy or CBT

I read recently in the Orange Papers that Dr. Vaillant (The AA quack) of the Alcoholics Anonymous World Service stated that AA was similar to CBT. This is utter nonsense. I am no expert but I know when people feel bad about themselves, when people feel powerless it is not good therapy of any kind.
What I have seen in my nine years in the cult was certainly not CBT. People who are unhappy might say, "I feel happy. I am happy in AA". Now their body language contradicts this. They often look miserable. They often merely say what they think others want to hear. They deny their feelings of sorrow. This is called suppression, not CBT. And this is perhaps why there is so much anger at the meetings. There is often a boiling rage. AAs hate feeling, and rarely express any at meetings in my experience. I cannot believe that our 'good doctor' really believes that meetings are like CBT. Considering that he found the suicide rate among members was appalling, and that AA "was no better" than nothing at all".
It is best I think to recognise our feelings. Sometimes I feel sad but rather than suppress it, it is best to say, 'yes I'm sad, but it will pass. It IS passing. I am sad because.... I will rectify it. I will rise above it'. Isn't that better than saying, 'I am happy' while inside feel rotten?
So many times I have seen people deny their feelings at meetings. You can feel the pain, the atmosphere is full of sorrow. An AA room is like a grey room. Meetings are full of pain, sarcasm, condescension, denial, fake smiles, sniggering. It truly is an awful place. CBT indeed!