I don't want to give too many details so as to avoid doxing myself. I never left the US and wouldn't have done so if asked, but fundamentally, I don't think that really matters. It's all part of the same machine. It was well before I became anything that could be described as communist, but all that means is that it hit that much harder when I had to come to terms with what I'd been a part of.
Maybe that's the sort of thing you can't ever make up for, but I'll spend the rest of my life trying anyway. If anyone on this site never wants anything to do with me again after having read this, I understand.
At least you can speak directly to the bullshit of the empire and not just speculative. That knowledge is invaluable to exposing the empire's lies. You learned and grew there's respect in that. You saw first hand the bullshit - how the sausage is made so to say.
Use that stuff to keep talking to people and helping them grow. You're amongst comrades here.
Thanks, appreciate it (and everyone else who voiced their support). If anyone fresh out of college comes to me for advice, the very first thing I'm going to tell them is "Do not work for the MIC."