I really can’t imagine how bitter that would make me feel.
If you compare it to what many intelligent individuals wind up getting stuck doing in other developing countries it's a pretty awesome opportunity.
They're not crooks from their perspective. They're indoctrinated into hating the west, remember. As far as they're concerned they're likely to feel they're serving their nation and doing a good deed.
He was an American cryptographer who took a very public stance against the Vietnam War. Being forced to leave, he went and set up the world's most successful hedge fund, became a billionaire and led the nerdification of trading.
There are lots of really really interesting interviews with him on YouTube.
Or did you think the US doesn't do propaganda?
> I really can’t imagine how bitter that would make me feel.
That's how I feel about smart CS kids getting duped into working for the CIA or NSA, but I have less sympathy with those because they're coerced with cozy paychecks rather than the implied threat of literally being dragged in at gunpoint.