...not sure what sort of "moral debt" (second bullet point) Omar had to the country - is there some reason he should have had to contribute anything to the US economy? Its not like the military where you commit to extra years of service for the financial inducements attached to further study. He's probably already contributed more than most Americans just in his research during the years of his PhD. As an American doing a PhD in the UK, I don't feel I owe a "moral debt" to contribute to the economy here when I am done.
Where do you live, where the government either isn't cooperating with the US or its allies or else doing its own spying and censorship, and isn't a corrupt, money-hungry beast? I might just pack my own bags and go myself. Assuming there are jobs for foreigners.
IMO the US is with China a step ahead everybody else Russia included. They also have the resources for this and control over the main companies spearheading these developments. Couple with a shadow federal government with absolute power, and the most sedated, naive, "cooperative" and docile population in existence.
It's really a scary place to live. Surely IT jobs do pay well there though.
Just because the United States happens to be better at it at the moment, doesn't mean other governments aren't complicit or wouldn't jump at the chance for total information awareness themselves.
Research universities are phenomenally expensive and heavily subsidized creatures. This guy received $250k in government grants that paid his tuition and stipend.
I'm mildly biased (or more precisely, I was more close to the subject), since I was in research until 2 years ago, when my grant ran out. I did have a grant, but in my case it was basically my salary while I was researching and giving occasional teaching. The research group I was in was also given money "for me" to cover my travel expenses and such, but after all, the money for the grant is used in exchange for someone researching (be it as salary, equipment, workshops,) not just flushed down the toilet. But I'm sure you know, also ;)
