The economic crCIA was going to happen no matter what the US' financial situation was, in which case the next most economically unstable country would have kick-started global depression instead. The whole situation was due to a combination of petrol market price-jack circlejerking nonsense and China's coming to power amongst many many other shaky economic problems.
But for US residents they can still blame the absolutely atrocious past economy management by US representative parties for the current situation (Bush administrative pretty much). Everyone else is feeling it too, only it's not nearly as bad at the moment.