Neither of those metaphors line up, really. America's outsized impact on the global economy, security and technology landscape is not proportional to it's population. The relationship between political endeavors and technology are purely secular and material, we wouldn't have things like EUVL or SAR without DARPA paving the way for political objectives.

Much like religion or the Indian Prime Minister, you don't have to discuss the American hegemony if you don't want to. But it does exist, and the burden of proof falls on you to explain how these things aren't important topics.