Edison of course. But Tesla is now the patron saint of crackpots. I don't think Tesla was a crackpot. He was a brilliant inventor who suffered from mental illness and ended up being his own worst enemy. Tesla didn't face circumstances any worse than any other inventor of his time. He was a rich man at one point and had the financial backing of Westinghouse.
Agreed. I am not here to denigrate Tesla, but to defend Edison from his detractors. The same dark forces that are trying to tear down America are systematically discrediting and destroying all of our cultural heros and icons, whether they are historical, military or captains of science and industry. That trend is a contagion that is thoughtlessly spreading, even at FR, even in this thread. Edison was no saint, but he was a self-made man, a rough-and-tumble capitalist, a self-promoter, creative, and transformed the world in a positive manner that few men (especially politicians) in history ever have. He exemplified every thing the Left would tear down. Edison perfected ideas and commericalized them where others had only dreamed or failed. When you turn on a light, watch a movie, play a record, or listen the radio, you have Edison to thank. By comparison, Tesla is overrated.