Originally Posted by SecondFloor

Thats absolutely correct, but the projection of power isn't the only goal. One example: Right now the stock market is soaring, but we're going on over 3 decades of wage stagnation, in large part because of republican policies that have weakened worker protections and unions. Many of the blue collar workers hurt by these policies voted for their authors. This is where a better education could have helped them.

The fact that the average American worker is squeezed doesn't necessarily weaken economic might. I could have a very profitable slave plantation, but that doesn't mean all is well just because its successful.

The economy of today is vastly different than that of America 200 years ago, and many voters don't seem to grasp it. Today, economic might is not just what a country produces within its borders, but by its ability to cooperate with other nations and project soft power via diplomacy. The Trump trade and foreign policy strategies are way out of step with the modern system.