Donald J. Trump, whether admired or criticised, is a figure who has reshaped the American political landscape. His actions and rhetoric have often polarised the nation, but one thing is clear: He believes he is acting in the best interest of the United States. That, in itself, is a quality not to be dismissed lightly. Great leaders – regardless of party, ideology, or temperament – are often driven by a deep sense of mission. Their ability to challenge norms and push for bold solutions is sometimes what a country needs in moments of decline or uncertainty.
Trump’s effort to “Make America Great Again” has focused heavily on rebuilding domestic manufacturing, securing borders, renegotiating trade deals, and confronting global economic rivals. These policies, while controversial, stem from a deep-rooted desire to restore America’s economic strength. Yet, while his critiques of past political leadership strike a chord with many, they only scratch the surface of what truly led to America’s economic unravelling.
It is convenient, but incomplete, to blame only political decisions for America’s industrial decline. The more profound failure lies in the economic doctrines promoted for decades by the country’s intellectual and corporate elites. Beginning in the 1980s and accelerating through the 1990s and early 2000s, American economists and business theorists aggressively championed globalisation. Outsourcing, offshoring, and transitioning to a service-based, knowledge-driven economy were hailed as innovative strategies that would solidify America’s global leadership.
Prestigious business schools taught generations of leaders that manufacturing was inefficient and better left to developing nations. The future, they argued, lay in finance, tech, and consulting. American corporations, driven by profit margins and shareholder returns, eagerly followed suit. Factories closed, jobs vanished, and once-thriving industrial towns turned into hollowed-out shells of their former selves.
This ideology came with a heavy price – between 2001 and 2018, it is estimated that over 90,000 American factories either shut down or moved overseas. Communities across the Midwest and South were devastated, and the middle class, once the backbone of American prosperity, began to erode. While corporate profits soared and Wall Street boomed, working Americans found themselves increasingly left behind.
Another dimension of this decline lies in a form of cultural complacency, particularly among some segments of the majority population. Rather than respond to global competition with greater innovation, education, and entrepreneurship, there emerged a troubling tendency to lean on historical privilege and outdated notions of supremacy.
In a rapidly globalising world, competitiveness should have been the rallying cry across all races and classes. But for some, particularly within the white majority, there was a belief that their identity alone would carry them forward.
Many assumed that graduating from elite institutions or simply belonging to the dominant racial group would guarantee economic success. This illusion fostered a sense of entitlement, and with it, a resistance to adapt or compete.
At the same time, immigrants and international professionals from countries like China, India, Nigeria, and others were demonstrating a different approach. They came equipped with practical business acumen, resilience, and an insatiable drive to succeed. Often with fewer resources and less institutional support, they built businesses, acquired skills, and created wealth. Their focus was not on titles or pedigree, but on tangible results. They embodied the entrepreneurial spirit that once defined America itself.
Adding to the issue is the failure of American business education to stay grounded in real-world application. Business school curricula became increasingly theoretical, saturated with case studies from massive corporations rather than small- and medium-sized businesses where the majority of economic activity occurs. Students were taught to manage wealth, not create it; to optimise spreadsheets, not run factories.
This detachment from practical business knowledge left a gap – one that has been filled by more pragmatic, hands-on entrepreneurs from around the world. America’s educational institutions, once seen as the pinnacle of innovation, began producing managers and analysts, rather than builders and creators.
The way forward is national renewal through honest reflection. Fixing what has been broken requires more than tariffs, political slogans, or tax cuts. It requires a collective reckoning with the deeper systemic failures that brought the nation to this point. Political leaders, yes – but also educators, economists, business leaders, and everyday citizens must acknowledge their role in the decline. Rebuilding America demands more than nostalgia for the past; it demands reinvention.
Manufacturing must be re-embraced; not as an antiquated industry, but as a modern, tech-integrated engine of national resilience. Education must return to basics – real skills, practical training, and entrepreneurial empowerment. Cultural humility must replace entitlement, with a renewed focus on competing globally through hard work and ingenuity.
Trump’s instincts to defend American industry may be commendable, but the solution lies not in political combat alone. It lies in mobilising all sectors of society to commit to a more inclusive, competitive, and self-reliant economic future. The time for blame has passed. The time for bold, collective action is now.
Okoroafor wrote from the UK.
