The protestant work ethic was NOT responsible for the irresistible and inexorable rise of the United States of America.

The ‘inheritance’ of empire from the UK and subsequent exploitation of the world is the real reason. Twenty years ago, dollar reserves in central banks outside the US was about $20 trillion. Those reserves are tantamount to tax or tribute given to the US. Give $20 trillion to the poorest country in the world today and it will rise to superpower status.