Industrial Revival
For years, transnational corporations convinced us that making stuff was beneath us. These corporations shipped American factories overseas and told us that cheap consumer goods were better for the economy than good paying jobs. Our country looked rich but our people were quickly losing the ability to build things at scale. Now that our infrastructure is crumbling and our jobs are disappearing, the decades of lies are coming home to roost. There is no doubt that the path forward will require hard work. The American spirit, whose fire built our country's industrial base, still burns brightly in our nation's soul. We just need to start it up again.
Industrial strength comes from a system of skilled workers transforming raw goods into high-value finished goods. As we have witnessed with American industry, letting our infrastructure rust so we can import cheap products from overseas makes industrial revival incredibly challenging. In order to revive American industry, we need to pass policies which immediately incentivize skilled labor and robust infrastructure. We believe the ideas we outline will help to kickstart the American industrial revival.
Made in America
Offshoring jobs has hollowed out communities and left American families behind. American production must be prioritized in every major policy decision. Tariffs and “Made in USA” requirements should be used so that government spending and critical supply chains support domestic factories and American workers. The poor decisions of decades past can and must be reversed.
Reward American Companies
Rewarding the growth of a transnational financial engineering firm which extracts value without creating lasting jobs is clearly a failed venture. We demand that elected representatives support American companies which create solid American jobs. Policies should favor smaller and mid-sized manufacturers that produce real goods. Tax incentives should only reward the companies which operate inside the United States and train American workers.
Promote Skilled Trades
Skilled trades must once again become a path for Americans. We should expand apprenticeships and technical high schools so that young people can learn skilled trades. The current system pushes our youth into a four-year degree that leaves them buried in debt and jobless. We advocate for incentivizing American employers, who hire these skilled workers, with wage subsidies or tax credits. Young people entering the workforce should be able to earn a solid living and build a future without drowning in debt.
Change the Culture
We need to stop telling kids that “success” means a desk job in finance or tech. The people who actually build this country’s physical infrastructure deserve respect and recognition. If young workers can see that skilled trades offer good wages, dignity and a future in their own communities, more of them will choose that path.