I came in pursuit of "The American Dream". Could I have chosen a worse time?!

I listen to PBS every morning (a replacement for Radio 4 "Today" programme). The stories I hear give me a pretty good insight into the fury, and it is blind fury coupled with fear, of the American people.  I have heard an 83 year old man say he thinks he will have to try and find a job as his pension pot has dwindled to so little he fears he cannot pay for groceries.  Yesterday it was the turn of a young couple. He has lost his job and opened up a shop. Now he needs credit to restock his shop and cannot get it from any bank. His car broke down and he cannot afford to replace it.  As household appliances go bust he and his wife cannot replace them either. They have a young child. There is no "American dream" for them right now! 

Over and over I hear the same plights being retold on radio and TV. 

As I venture further away from home I am increasingly confronted by the underbelly of American society.  And it isn't pretty. 

There are many rough sleepers and beggars. In the current economic crisis their numbers look likely to rise substantially.  Things could get very nasty indeed. There are precious few safety nets as we are used to in the UK. 

"Down and out" appears to mean exactly that here.  

A friend in the UK wrote to me "There's still time to come back". 

I am not sure that there is and anyway, what is the point?  The house has gone. The car's been sold.  I gave up my job.  All our possessions were either given away or shipped over here. 

I have made my bed so I must lie in it.

The question is - will the situation here recover faster than in the UK?