Quote from jprad:
Ditto on your first point.
As for your second, define "safe" in a world where the dominant military and consumer nation goes tits up.
Any country which is capable of self-sufficiency in that scenario is, by definition, a target to get overrun by so many people who have the same idea. Do you honestly think that country's government would stand still and let itself be brought to it's knees? No, they would respond by denying access to foreigners and/or kicking the ones out that are already there.
IMHO, if the US goes down the entire world goes with it and there will be no safe harbor for US citizens, and Europeans, who didn't check out and establish themselves elsewhere at least 10 years ago.