I don’t understand the backlash you’re getting. It’s not very surprising that a poor 18 year old sees the military as a way out of their hardship. I’m not saying it is, there’s a very good chance it is not. But that a struggling teenager can see it that way, and getting drawn in by recruiters isn’t odd.

100% agree with your edit. You’ll see people used as drug mules, not because they’re hardened criminals, but because they’re desperate enough to do something they know is wrong.

I think a lot of the people taking a hard stance against you here haven’t seen hardship up close and dont realise how tempting it would be to do something to get out of it