You weren't the greatest economic engine in the 1800s. The British Empire was. The appalling thing about American education is that they don't teach you much.

QUOTE; And here is the thing: the US was the world's richest country in 1900 and Britain was the world's wealthiest country in 1800. While there is still a long way to go, the fact that most countries are wealthier than the world's wealthiest country was just a century or two ago is a remarkable achievement.31 Jan 2022

https://broadstreet.blog/2022/01/31/how-the-world-became-rich-part-i/#:

QUOTE: Economic history as it relates to economic growth in the modern sense first occurred during the Industrial Revolution in Britain and then in the rest of Europe, due to high amounts of energy conversion taking place. Global nominal income expanded to $100 billion by 1880. After 1860, the enormous expansion of wheat production in the United States flooded the world market, lowering prices by 40%, and (along with the expansion of potato growing) made a major contribution to the nutritional welfare of the poor.[28]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_history_of_the_world

With respect, I spent a year in a Libertarian club. I know your philosophy. Let's leave it there. I don't have time to contradict everything you say. Thank you for commenting.