I feel bad in a way, considering that I probably stole some other engineer's job simply because I am cheaper.
It's a moral problem I hadn't(or rather, didn't want to) consider before reading this comment thread.
I love the people I work with(both overseas and local), but comments like these make me wonder if I've made the wrong choice.
I don't begrudge a romanian SWE any more than a US one, we're all just trying to get by here, and the fact that global megacorps can do currency/economy arbitrage that they prevent workers from benefiting from while ensuring they have every advantage is by and large not your fault.
It should have been for us as engineers to organize, unionize, or legislate protections if we didn't want this to happen, and despite advocating this to my peers during the boom years, I was constantly rebuffed.
Obviously I put more on the massive companies with the power to dictate global laws and trade practices gleefully jumping at this, but between that and the responsibility I put on my peers/myself to fight against that, I certainly don't put blame on you.
The only difference is that you have zero control over the weather and very nearly zero control over corporate hiring decisions.
> I love the people I work with(both overseas and local), but comments like these make me wonder if I've made the wrong choice
It's out of your control as an IC. That said, do whatever you can to prepare for the worst.
Your a competent engineer, just like anyone else in any other country.