Unfortunately we may end up in the same way. Illegal immigrants and outsourcing jobs overseas will ultimately create a US society where 10 percent will live well off (the guys who run the corporations and the people who provide critical services for them), 80 percent digital serfs who will be willing to work for anything and 10 percent permenantly unemployed and kept docile by entitlements or are involved in crime. Right now there is no laws on the books and no will on our politicians to stop it.
Please sir, may I be one of the guys who lives well.