The point is that the US got a huge jump start in 19C from copying - and often improving - other countries technology. Sure lots of fundamental inventions - lik

The point is that the US got a huge jump start in 19C from copying - and often improving - other countries technology. Sure lots of fundamental inventions - like Edison came at the end of that period but it doesn’t negate the jump start. So ‘the US invented its technology’ really doesn’t describe the position accurately. Nor is the contrast with China as stark as you imply.