hey bmx88,
lol what you are saying is true, BUT
For most of the americans right now who are in trouble, it's because they have huge debts.... they went to college/university, and therefore, even if they got a good job, they got trouble to make it, especially when the recession hit them, and with the interests rate raising as hell.
I was working in atlanta 2008-2010 and I was living in Canada for 10 years before... always going back and forth to the US. My fiancee is from atlanta and all my friends lives there. so I do know about the situation.
The situation is clearly diferent for someone who's coming from another country, with enough saving money for a couple of months, with degrees and NO DEBTS!!!
That's the difference with all those americans who are suffering right now in the US, you don't have debts when we are coming over, and we got degrees (Im talking about me tho)
It's easy to scare people like that, and I do agree that if you are going to the US to make money through a business or self employment it might be tuff right now, but if you are qualified in the right field, you will make it and your life will be better than in Europe (Im experiencing London right now, I got a good job, my paycheck is huge but the cost of life is so high that I cannot afford the thing I could afford when I was in the US with less money...)
But again it all depends in which field you are, if you are qualified enough, and choose wisely which state you will move to in the US cause remember that the USA are real big and every state got a diferent dynamic.
I still hear what u are saying bmx88, it s not wrong, but cannot apply this to everyone.
ANyway, which country you're from, did u get your green card through the lottery? We could use your help if it's the case, that would be nice