Paul101, Above Datums.
In that case I can only offer an apology.
Paul, I speak as somebody who has indeed seen young airmen who are irresponsible with their finances, but never to the extent where they are irresponsible enough to be financially unable to feed themselves throughout the month.
Without meaning to cause offence, I may well be blinkered in the fact that the airmen I work around and with are all engineers with a few years experience of life, and who are paid relatively well.
I have not worked anywhere with, or been in charge of a large percentage of younger airmen on a lower wage who may be getting themselves into the situation you describe.
However I stand by the fact that I see your comments as being rather derogatory towards the VAST majority of Airmen/Junior Officers who have no problems financially, but wish not to be paying for food that they do not want to eat, yet are being tarred with the brush that if they do not pay mess charges they will starve because they are not able to control their money adequately.
I feel that your argument favours the few rather than the majority.
Above Datums,
If that is the case with regard to SRO's then I agree entirely with you that we should be ashamed with ourselves. However, I still feel that it is a minority letting us down rather than the vast majority of sensible, decent servicepeople.