The fastest way for me to become disappointed in someone I care about is for them to take a government “job”. That’ll do it every time.
It doesn’t matter how “respectable” others believe that “job” is.
It doesn’t matter if the “job” is believed to be “necessary” or “helpful”.
It doesn’t matter how badly you need the “job”.
It doesn’t matter if it’s a “job” also filled in the voluntary sector.
It doesn’t matter if I still like you and think you are basically a “good” person.
It doesn’t matter how much (stolen) money it pays.
If you side with the government to get money, I am disappointed in you.
Whether that matters or not is a separate issue altogether.
If someone works for a company that entered into a contract to produce something for the government does that disappoint you?
Yes. But not quite as much, especially if they worked there before the government contract came along. It also depends what is being produced for the government– weapons, execution chemicals, and things like that would be worse in my mind than supplying toilet seats. But really, the less you help government, the better (in my mind). The best thing would be to utterly shun government to death.
But, as I say, my opinion of them isn’t going to count for much to most people.