I'm going to have to say no. I am not sure the US ever WAS the "idea leader" of the world.

Unless of course you count pointless drugs for things that didn't exist until another drug caused them as side effects. =p

Not since the "Race to Space" has the US been 1st in anything worthwhile.

Japan has been making advances in electric cars and cars with sensors (brake when they're about to crash into something) for years.

What do we do? Build bigger SUVs.

Very not cool.
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I cannot now find the source for this, but within the last two years I read an article--either in the National Geographic, The Economist, or the Smithsonian--that talked about how more than a few scientists from the United States have moved to China, because they get better grant money there than here. Faced with the prospects of ceasing their research or moving, they've moved.

And then there's the process of patenting an idea. If you work for a large company, they own your idea. Where's the incentive in that? And if you don't, there are those telemarketed services. Are they for real or not? For many Americans who may have a wonderful idea but aren't savvy on marketing, venture capitalism, etc., their ideas never come to fruition. Or they wait and eventually see their idea in production. But by someone else who was able to wade through the scam companies to find a way to get the idea produced.
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