The problem is that too many people are competing for jobs which are slowly disappearing. At the same time, there is a shortage of people who are qualified to do the jobs which are becoming more common. Countries with more educated and specialized workers will attract companies who need to hire them.

The solution? Provide citizens with the tools and knowledge to participate in the new economy. This means revising the entire education system. Focus less on general education and more on specialized education. Teach people how to code, innovate, and create for the future. Focus on improving the effectiveness of education and making it more available to more people. Make college “free” and fund more certification programs for those who want a faster track.

A focus on education and planning for the future will “Make America Great Again.” If politicians want to make a real impact on the country, they need to focus less on protectionism and more on education. That is, they need to set up their citizens for success in the global marketplace, not shield them from it.

Part of the reason Trump won over Clinton because he promised to shake things up. Trump also hit a nerve when he decided to focus his whole campaign on bringing back the “American Dream.” According to a Gallup poll held just before the election, more than 50% of Americans believe that our economy is getting worse. Today, the “American Dream” is not exactly dead, but it is dying. In fact, if born poor in America, you only have about a 7 percent chance of making it into the top income distribution.

Many, rightfully, blame globalization for this decline of American “greatness.” They blame foreign governments, foreign currency manipulation, trade deals and high tax rates which they say incentivize American companies to leave. But why is no one in politics talking about automation? Automation is a much greater threat to American jobs than any of the previously mentioned concerns. Yet, all anyone can talk about is bringing back the jobs of the past, when America was “great.”

Although, the past allows us to learn from our mistakes it cannot guide us into the future. Every moment in history is different and so every situation must be handled in a different way. Today’s increasingly complex world requires increasingly specialized workers. America’s problem is that it currently has an oversupply of laborers with similar skills. Skills which were well suited for when “America was great” but which are not well suited for the new economy.

Instead of bringing back old jobs, we should be focused on how to create new ones. Instead of attempting to bring back the past, we should be focusing on the future. While everyone is complaining about factories moving to foreign countries, companies like Tesla are working on building fully autonomous ones. What good will it do us if we get companies to bring back factories if eventually the factory worker will be replaced by a machine?

This isn’t the only place where jobs will be lost to automation. Autonomous vehicles are also on the horizon. Elon Musk announced that every Tesla vehicle will be autonomous from here on out. Companies like Ford, Google and Volvo are also working on making cars that drive themselves. A large percentage of US jobs are based on driving for one reason or another. Most of those jobs will be wiped out. Telemarketers, bookkeepers, Cashiers, salespeople, and many others jobs, are likely to be replaced by automation in the near future. Are we, as a society, prepared for this transition?

While the United States is preoccupied with bringing back jobs of the past, other countries are focusing on producing citizens which are ready for the jobs of the future. That is, the economy of the future will not be centered around manual labor and factory workers. The economy of the future will be centered around specialized and technical labor. Countries which provide their citizens with access to education will allow citizens to participate in the economy of the future will flourish. Countries which are preoccupied with bringing back jobs of the past will not.