Although I totally agree with this sentiment, I think it too is a bit short sighted.
In manufacturing at least, the big technological drive (which we have seen in the last half decade) is towards flexible, low cost automation which fixes the problems of existing automation (extreme R&D and capital cost and total inflexibility). While lowering the barriers for getting things onto the market (which can be done just by reclaiming the manufacturing base taken by China), it will almost surely destroy the manufacturing based working class (which is about a tenth of the US's GDP).
For that matter, getting the smartest STEM majors into your country, and working on new technologies could create new jobs and opportunities.