But other than money, is the US really better at, well, anything? If you are in the US, and you don't have money - what do you have?
Now sure, I'm making a broad statement, but I'd argue that outside of "we have more money" there's not a whole lot of America that's appealing.
I'll shorten the obligatory "if we are so bad, why does everyone want to come here" question by pointing out;
Not everyone does. But the US has some poor neighbors, so it can seem that way. And;
There is always some group of people who see money as the prime motivator, and hence the US the prime destination.
I say this not to pick on the US, or say its a terrible place. But to encourage some objective introspection. I suspect that the perception that "America is the best country on earth" is the primary stumbling block that prevents America from being anywhere close to the best country on earth.