The industrial base is a matter of national security.
Yes, it IS more expensive to make steel in the US, and batteries and mechanical components - you name it - than it is to make it overseas. But if you DON'T make it in the US, then you are dependent on foreigners for your national defense. Not just oil - everybody frets about oil dependency, and they're RIGHT too - but for everything else.
There are folks positively gleeful to see jobs exported.. They are of two flavors.
One flavor is MINE. Somebody up thread mentioned Kelo, and my very cynical approval of the decision back when it came out. Why would I support a thing like that? Because it is very, very good for high finance and big businesses, and that is where MY bread is buttered. So, you see, if some company that manufactures widgets out in Akron is in the financial markets, well, that's a potential source of income for ME. What do I want? I want to MAXIMIZE profits, for me and the folks I work for. And dealing with OSHA and unions and Workmen's Comp and insurance and lawsuits, all of the snares to keep workers protected from having the hell exploited out of them - all of this cuts into MY bottom line. So, of course I want to have Chinese slaves, or Indonesian workers, whatever age - 10 years old, what the hell do I care? I don't see them - do the job. Stick the plant over there - deduct the full cost of it from American taxes as a cost of capital, ship the jobs out, and get rid of those expensive Americans. If the Indonesians want more? Screw 'em. Let 'em eat cake. Move the factory to Honduras and deduct the cost of THAT move from my federal taxes again. Etc. Let the US worker subsidize my capital moves; after all, we employ him, so he should just be happy he's got a damned job at all still and shut up, pay his taxes. Me? Well, dividends aren't taxed anymore, you know. And options? Gosh, the capital gains in all that stock is taxed at a real low rate too. American workers pay a lot more taxes on their wages than capital class pay on their dividends and stock appreciation (oh, and executed stock options? They're really compensation, but, see, they're not called "wages", and therefore there's no social security, no medicare, no NOTHIN' on them.) Kelo was great, from a business perspective, because it allowed valuable land to be freed up from little people who might stand in the way of big corporations who have better, more profitable things to do with that land. And those little people? They should just shut up and be happy that they have a JOB, because the big corporation that tossed them makes that possible.
The other type who like to see the jobs go aren't making money. They just hate unions and are fools.
Because of the arrogant attitude of developers and municipalities after Kelo, they ended up dropping the buttered toast right on the floor: eminent domain for private development is almost impossible now in Indiana, and in many other states. Looks like the dullards in the flyover states didn't accept the fate you planned out for them.