Why are people still interested in getting a green card?

I just read an article about the technical glitch in green card lottery selection and I was surprised so many folks across the globe still want to pursue the so-called 'American Dream' that is pretty much nonexistent now. Some of them say they still admire the American way of living, the decadent, wasteful and materialistic life. If you are from Africa, it is understandable but some of these applicants are from Ireland, Spain or some other European countries that I've visited and I truly believe life there is just as good (if not better) as life in the U.S. I wish these people know how lucky they are and not affected by what they see on TV and other media, which are all lies.