[anonimo]

> I seriously do not understand why people come/stay here given the way they are treated by our government. You must be masochists.

The immigration thing definitely sucks, but other things probably make up for it. You're probably underestimating the good parts of living in the US, especially from the point of view of someone who comes from a poorer country or, in some cases, for an entrepreneur who lives in a developed country but doesn't have access to places like Silicon Valley and NY.

Also note that, with the possible exception of Canada and Australia, most other developed countries are at least as restrictive as the US regarding immigration from developing countries.

I'm from Brazil, which is considered one of the leading countries among the "emergent" countries. Yes, things have been improving in the last 20 years. But it still sucks. For instance, consider that the GDP per capita in Brazil is still far lower than places like Portugal and Greece, which are not exactly booming. In fact, there's a significant number of Brazilian immigrants in Portugal even though they're not exactly welcoming us with open arms.

In another area: half of slums in Rio are now dominated by drug gangs, and the other half by paramilitary militias. One of those militias recently killed a judge. A state congressman had to flee the country due to death threats from militias. I'll take your bureaucratic nightmares anytime. ;-)