[api]

That's what I'm getting at.

Why do we need this to advance?

We had everything we needed to build the Falcon 9 in 1985.

We will keep suffering Hitlers until we can build the Autobahn without him.

[senordevnyc]

If we look at every other category of major innovation for the last century, are they all kicked off by a world-class narcissistic asshole?

Many yes, but certainly nowhere near all. So that would seem to invalidate your hypothesis.