Commentary In the event of war with China, the weakness of America’s defense industrial base will ensure that the Chinese would prevail. As things stand, U.S. manufacturers lack the adequate ability to meet basic defense needs for the contemporary age of great-power competition. “Innovations essential to military preparedness—like highly specialized lithium-ion batteries—require an ecosystem of innovation, skills, and production facilities that the United States currently lacks,” a White House report (pdf) on national supply chains from last June said. The Biden administration needs to incentivize young Americans to study the trades, along with STEM fields—similar to what the Navy provides for those entering nuclear fields, which provides significant bonuses. Discounted college educations or trade school training could be provided. It would cost trillions and decades to undo the damage, but the cost of not doing so would be infinitely larger. Rebuilding the nation’s industrial base is a critical national defense …