A point to note is that only those who were born in India/China have to deal with this long lead time. If you weren't born in any of these countries that have high immigration rates into America, you should have < 3-4 years path to a Green Card.
That's correct, I was born in India and hence will have to wait in line for my turn. It's just that if someone wants to start today can still do and need not wait for a green card.