I actually agree with you. 100% on addicts not being worse than many if not most of straight society. The dropping out of the evils of the modern world in favor of a lifestyle that the rest of the world considers degenerate is one that has a lot of precedents in philosophy and spirituality. So really there's nothing in your post, Trigger, that I disagree with me. When you say "leave the poor junkie alone," notwithstanding the fact that I am one myself (albeit maintained on bupe), it is not the junkie I'm attacking per se, it's an abstract concept that's gaining more currency in mainstream addictionology (see: Dr. Valkow) the "disease model" (of which I am a vocal opponent even in professional contexts.) The concept being that when Alice goes into the medicine cabinet of Bob, who's dying of cancer, and takes his meds, that in some sense Alice lacks agency in doing so, "it's not her, it's the disease." That's what I'm arguing against.
Some addicts, of course, latch on to this concept and use it as a cop out. Just as many do feel regret for their wrongdoings. If you're a junkie and you do something bad to get drugs, you should feel bad, and not just bad because you have a "disease," but bad because you did something wrong.
That's all I'm saying. A lot of extraneous stuff is getting pulled in here.