""Manufacturing had been (and still is in isolated pockets) the ticket to the middle class in America.""
that is no longer the case and hasnt been since about 1978. an education is.
That's a given. Anybody who thinks manufacturing is slapping bolts together in a dark building is way out of touch. The skill set required to work in a modern automated factory is second to none.
I would add that the ticket to the middle class is not just an education but a useful education.
However, back to trade again, our government by allowing predatory pricing of trading nations has undercut the very educational investments individuals (self included) have made in science, engineering, manufacturing and machining.