[prvit]

>See McAfee, Assange, and Snowden. Only Snowden had the OpSec not to get caught - by escaping the influence of the US.

This is ridiculous. You're deliberately limiting your list to only fugitives that also choose to be celebrities at the same time.

[danuker]

And why would more obscure "bad guys" cover for each other?

How does the game theory change?

It does not. I perceive the penalties for losing a prisoner's dilemma are much larger than the potential payoff.

[prvit]

Celebrities play a different game. The adversary isn't the entire empire, but merely the resources the empire is willing to expend to get you.

Assange and McAfee worked hard to feed their adversaries.