really doubt artists are going to do better than pennies in france vs anywhere else. US is a good place to be an artist.
It's about power. Always was, always is (once you're passed a certain fiat amount; only so much "line goes up" before it no longer matters). As Theodore Roosevelt said about highest tax bracket taxpayers who might leave the country, "we wish them well!" Call the bluff of these people, they're the ones with something to lose. If they push too hard, make them lose.
The rules are flexible, all of this (economic systems) is a shared delusion. Be mindful of this when negotiating and operating within the system.