I understand that economic dislocation hit the Rust Belt hard, but a big part of that was due not only to trade with China, but from technological innovation and internal competition from the U.S. South, as manufacturing (and iconically auto manufacturing) relocated to the South.

The key point was MANAGEMENT was oriented toward "cost reduction" in order to boost profits. So, production was sent outside the US. Apple->China is the big one many people recognize.

That, in turn, had a major impact on the US tech economy--just not in the way many people think about it.

Chinese mfrs, over the years, became the ONLY source to do a variety of assembly because the development of that tech did NOT begin in the US. It was invented and perfected in China. So, the US lacks the *technical skills* to do many things today.

Remember the screw-up/faceplant by Spankee and CBP with Korea? A multi-billion $$$ US battery plant under construction in the South stopped dead in its tracks--because the ONLY people who could "do the specialized work" were DEPORTED by the US. The workers had temporary work permits to do THAT SPECIFIC/SPECIALIZED JOB in the US at that plant. Deported. Some refused to return to the US. No idea how much THAT cost the govt.