In 2036, daily life will look and feel very different.

We are in a period of profound disruption driven by rapid technological advances, heightened international tension, and turbulent internal politics across much of the Western world. It is one of those rare historic inflection points in which nearly every aspect of everyday life is ultimately affected.

While much is unpredictable, the United States remains uniquely positioned to shape the next decade for the better. In many ways this can be a defining era for our nation. But achieving this will be an uphill battle - we face a number of challenges that require action, and our internal politics are so chaotic that our attention is constantly diverted from one issue to another.

To ensure we come through this decisive period in a stronger position we must look past the chaos and turbulence and sustain a coherent focus on three core priorities.

First. Systemically leverage technological change and economic growth for a positive future.

The ongoing AI and robotics revolution is comparable to the Second Industrial Revolution, which gave us electrification, the assembly line, and automobiles. Like that revolution, this one will generate massive economic growth and change society in ways we can only begin to imagine.

Many Americans are understandably concerned about how fast AI is moving, especially given the hype and questions about privacy, use by minors, and energy consumption. These concerns need to be addressed by thoughtful regulation and creative energy policy. But advances in AI will continue at a breakneck pace in the US and China, and it will ultimately provide access to remarkably capable tools.

For millennia, humans have embraced new tools that can be used for both good and ill, and AI will be no different. What makes this moment unique is the scale of the upside. The convergence of AI, autonomous systems, and a skilled workforce has the potential to be truly transformational.

The Second Industrial Revolution helped accelerate the US middle class, but it happened haphazardly over decades and left many behind. If we organize now and act with a sense of urgency, we can use the tools generated by this revolution to tackle some of our most persistent and complex challenges, including:

· Healthcare: AI and robotics can shift care from reactive to proactive and make high-quality healthcare universally accessible. This will be driven by advanced diagnostics, personalized early interventions, accelerated drug discovery, surgical robotics, continuous remote monitoring, and automation of routine tasks and administrative procedures.

· Housing: By transforming construction from a fragmented, labor-intensive process into automated, scalable manufacturing, AI and robotics can disrupt housing and restore affordability. Robotics can accelerate framing, plumbing, and electrical work, while AI optimizes design, materials, and logistics. When paired with practical regulation, we can address what is one of our most pressing needs.

· Education: With the right guardrails and infrastructure, AI can dramatically expand access to highly effective, personalized instruction for all Americans, regardless of income or school district. Universal access to a one-on-one AI tutor - not to be confused with social media, AI “companions,” or using ChatGPT to write a paper - can enable mastery-based learning in any subject and any language. When integrated into a structured program teachers will be able to focus on human connection, critical thinking and reasoning, and other essential life skills.

Other sectors such as manufacturing, energy, and transportation will also be dramatically reshaped. This same wave of innovation will transform both white- and blue-collar work, eliminating some jobs while creating new roles that demand new skills. The change will be gradual at first, initially impacting entry-level jobs and some white-collar work, but it will accelerate through the decade. Without deliberate action, it risks widening inequality and straining social cohesion.

But if we choose to get ahead of the problem, this era of rapid growth and job creation can instead be harnessed to rebuild the American middle class. This will require augmenting public education with institutionalized apprenticeships, large-scale mentoring, defined pathways into in-demand fields, universal AI literacy, creative ways to transport people to jobs, and financial support for community college and post–high school training.

Done boldly at scale - and rooted in local communities - this strategy can reverse decades of economic stagnation. When coupled with access to healthcare and affordable housing, we can reignite the American Dream for everyone.

This is all within our grasp over the next ten years. But achieving it will require a pragmatic regulatory environment, sustained public and private investment, and a practical bipartisan willingness to pursue new approaches to long-standing problems.

Second. Deter an expanded conflict in Europe and a Chinese assault on Taiwan.

A Russian attack on a Baltic nation or Chinese military action against Taiwan would cause a staggering loss of life, have a catastrophic impact on the world economy and global supply chains, and ultimately effect daily life in the United States. No matter where you stand politically, it’s in our national interest to prevent all this from happening.

While Russian and Chinese intentions over the next decade are impossible to predict, the geopolitical climate will be defined by increased tensions and uncertainty. To sustain credible deterrence we need to take a series of measures now.

· Reduce Vulnerabilities: Our adversaries can employ an advanced technology in a novel disruptive way before we recognize it as a threat. As a starting point, we must increase efforts to harden our power grid, financial systems, communications networks, and water infrastructure against cyber and malicious hardware/software threats. We also need to look beyond infrastructure, reassess what now constitutes a potential strategic disabling threat, and take preventative measures. Examples could include engineered pathogens, orbital interceptors, influence operations designed to manipulate markets, and malicious use of personal and geospatial data to target individuals

· Win the AI Race: To outpace China’s massive state-driven effort we must achieve the loosely defined Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) first, lead in autonomous technologies, and apply these capabilities faster across economic, scientific and military domains. This requires sustained investment in compute infrastructure and energy generation, maintaining an edge in advanced chips, and expanding the AI talent pipeline. To prevent data center energy costs from being passed on to consumers, we need to pursue on-site, self-sufficient generation using small modular reactors, high-efficiency natural-gas turbines, or emerging hydrogen technologies, paired with solar and large-scale battery storage.

· Build 21st Century Capacity Fast – Especially for Deterrence in the Pacific: We need to accelerate the work done by the Biden and Trump administrations and rapidly field an integrated system that layers large numbers of low-cost to highly sophisticated AI-enabled platforms - unmanned air/surface/undersea, long-range precision strike, and dispersed sensors - with manned ships, submarines, and aircraft. And fully integrate allied systems and capabilities. The goal is an overwhelming, resilient capability that reduces dependence on a small number of expensive, vulnerable platforms. This is a herculean task that dictates a 1941-like sense of urgency, increased spending in select focus areas, and government adoption of the rapid innovate-to-scale mindset of a tech startup. The moment also demands that we stop the debilitating use of Continuing Resolutions and government shutdowns through this decisive period.

· Strengthen Alliances in Europe and the Pacific: Deterrence is a shared, collective mission. In Europe, we need to publicly reaffirm our commitment to the alliance and to NATO Article 5. We also need to continue to push allies to carry their burden while we contribute our unique capabilities—intelligence, strategic lift, refueling, missile defense, precision strike, cyber and space. In the Indo-Pacific, we must institutionalize cooperation with the Quad (U.S., Australia, India, Japan), promote increased defense spending, and strengthen ties with key countries like Vietnam and the Philippines.

· Recruit Top Private-Sector Talent to National Security Roles: In 1942 we made William Knudson, the President of GM with no military experience, a 3-star general and gave him real authority to accelerate our WWII industrial mobilization. He knew little about the Army, but he was a genius at mass production. Today we need to do the same in areas such as cyber, advanced manufacturing, energy, and AI.

Third. Build a national consensus around these strategic priorities.

We clearly have the capacity to leverage the AI revolution and to deter conflicts in Europe and the Pacific. The question is whether we have the national will.

Achieving the scale and speed required in both strategic areas will require a group of bipartisan leaders - statesmen and stateswomen - willing to break from our current dysfunctional politics and chart a consensus way ahead. That path must elevate these priorities to national imperatives, define public-private roles, and drive bipartisan policies and programs that will survive changes in the White House and congress.

Transformative moments in history are rare - and recognizing them in real time is rarer still. This one is a huge tsunami we see coming. We can stay on our current divided path and live with the consequences, or we can build a consensus in these select areas and leverage a once-in-a-century opportunity to shape a much better future.

Eighty-five years ago, in the Battle of Britain, the British defeated the German Air Force not just with courage but by uniting for survival. Today, America faces a challenge every bit as defining, not of bombs, but rather converging threats to our youth and middle class, driven by education gaps and rapid technological change.

We’re in the midst of a technological revolution where the nature of work, required skills, and wages are changing rapidly. Simply put, too many Americans are unprepared for the world ahead, with profound consequences for our middle class.

Like the British in 1940, this demands an urgent, unified and bipartisan response. But it also offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to grow our middle class.

On our current path three groups are most at risk.

First, young Americans who are struggling at a fundamental level and will enter adulthood lacking basic skills. You see this in chronic absenteeism and disengagement. Second, high school graduates who don’t pursue any post-high school training. Third, college students who pursue fields not in demand.

The ground beneath us is shifting rapidly. AI will transform white-collar jobs. Robotics will disrupt assembly lines, construction sites, elderly care, and everything else. This isn’t science fiction; it’s coming faster than we can process.

But this also presents a massive opportunity, much like the Second Industrial Revolution where the introduction of the assembly line created new jobs, raised wages, lowered the price of products, and helped jump start the American middle class.

In similar ways the AI revolution will also drive huge economic growth, provide access to remarkable tools and create new high paying jobs that require new skills. If we act now we can leverage this transformation to reverse the trend of the last few decades and actually rebuild the middle class.

This is clearly a huge national challenge that will require action at the state and federal level, but ultimately execution lies at the community level, where we will need to augment the work done by schools to ensure youth can succeed. Here are five specific thoughts:

Career Exploration: Systemically help students from middle school through high school understand their interests, strengths, and what skills are needed for the future. Every student should leave high school with a realistic plan. It may involve an apprenticeship, community college, 4-year college, or starting a business, but it should be framed within the AI and robotic-enabled world we are moving into.

Comprehensive Mentoring: Provide one-on-one mentors to select youth from middle school through high school into early adulthood. Employ mentors across a range of needs – from helping students understand a career field to providing individualized support for behavioral or social-emotional development. At a minimum, consider pairing every high-risk student with a mentor. To support this high demand for mentors develop a network of volunteers that taps into the business community, university students, and the vast retiree population.

Apprenticeships: Institutionalize apprenticeships in both high school and community college on a grand scale to create clear pathways to middle‑class careers in the new technological economy. Use tax incentives to encourage employers to generate apprenticeships—from emerging manufacturers and innovators to major corporations. And increase federal funding support to at least $10 billion. This year federal support of apprenticeships is about $400 million versus about $30 billion for Pell Grants.

AI Skills: Teach students to understand and effectively use artificial intelligence tools by integrating AI concepts into curricula, providing hands-on experiences with AI systems, and cultivating an environment where students learn to collaborate with intelligent technologies as part of human problem solving.

Public education. Expand the scope of public education to include community college and credits for post-high school training. Partner with high schools to increase dual-enrollment options, enabling students to earn college/community college credits or industry-recognized certifications in high-demand fields while completing high school. Integrate fundamental technological literacy into the high school curriculum to ensure students are prepared for modern career pathways.

These are ideas. Others will surface.

Some moments in history demand we unite with a common purpose. The Battle of Britain was one such moment. Securing the future of our middle class right now is our Battle of Britain.

Like the British in 1940, the choice is ours alone. And if we can overcome our divisiveness to focus on what truly matters, we can use this once in a century opportunity to reinvigorate the American dream.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine reminds us that the world is still a very dangerous place where a number of nations and non-state actors simply hold world views fundamentally different than those of most Americans. Having spent much of my life in the military looking at these threats, I’m concerned that in some ways they are more menacing now than several decades ago. But I also feel reasonably confident that if we stay vigilant, work with our allies, and, in a bipartisan manner, leverage our huge advantages our national security processes can effectively deal with them.

But since I retired from the military I’ve come to sense another threat to our future. An equally challenging one that also requires a systemic national security response. In this case, though, the threat is internal and centers around the fragile state of our middle class and limitations on economic mobility. To me this threat runs to the core of who we are as a nation.

Our country was founded on the premise that every person can succeed if they apply themselves. Many have, and over time we built a large middle class that has proven to be a source of strength for the nation. But for some Americans this success has remained aspirational, and over the last few decades the gap between those succeeding and those falling behind has grown. And the impact has been felt across the nation, from rural areas to Rust Belt communities to large cities.

According to Pew Research, in 1971 the percentage of American adults living in middle-income households was 61%. In 2021 it was 50%. During this same period the percentage of adults in upper tier income households rose from 14 % to 21%, while those in lower income households grew from 25 to 29%. In general terms, the middle class has declined and the number in the upper- and lower-income levels has increased.

This is not just an economic challenge but a national security issue that is becoming an existential threat. A thriving middle class and achievable economic mobility drive a belief in institutions and political stability, which is central to our basic functioning as a rational, practical, and civil democracy. Watch any newscast today for 5 minutes and you’ll see that we have lost this.

I also believe that our ability to serve as a source of moral force that men and women of goodwill around the globe can recognize is dependent on sustaining the belief that we are a politically stable middle class nation that champions opportunity and fairness.

This is a complex issue driven by numerous factors. A loss of manufacturing over decades has been a key one. Another is the rapid pace of technological change that is increasingly driving which skills are paid well. A third involves the impact of race over several centuries. Compounding all this are unknowns about the long-term impact of Covid on education, wages, employment, and the workforce.

And a central challenge is the fact that our politics have become so polarized there’s no space for frank conversation on functional solutions. Widely differing agendas have become so fragmented that we have lost a practical sense of life and a focus on a common American interest -- the idea that everyone, no matter who you are, where you live, or where you are from, can succeed here.

Successive US administrations have formed their own response to these challenges at the national level with varying success. At this point we need to reassess execution at the tactical level, or community level, where most of our focus is on mitigation - not on solving the core challenges upstream. We specifically need to find a bipartisan systemic solution that aligns the community’s efforts on the overarching goal, identifies the tactics to achieve it, and provides a leadership governance structure that can debottleneck and get things done.

In an attempt to do this, in mid-2019 a small group, which I am a part of, started a pilot effort in the community of Haverhill, Massachusetts. The intent is to build a systemic community process that enables all public-school students to achieve a true living wage job. A job that supports a good home, transportation, and the ability to raise a family if desired. The goal is to not operate on the margins but to make success the norm for every student. And in the process develop a bipartisan model that could be employed in other US communities.

The pilot program, called HP3 – or Haverhill Public-Private Partnership – centers around a systemic community process run by a public-private partnership that coordinates, integrates and focuses community programs and resources to achieve the singular goal – every public school student achieves a living wage job.

The program leverages the work of the schools and social organizations and emphasizes a series of core tasks. These include engaging students and parents from 6^th grade through high school about interests and career planning, providing mentors on a grand scale, and eliminating transportation as an obstacle to success. The most essential task is to convene a group of community leaders annually and, acting much like a project management team, assess progress and refocus collective community efforts toward the singular goal. Basically, identify what else needs to be done or better resourced to achieve the objective.

The program is still in its infancy and we see this as a 10-year effort at a minimum. We recently hired a full-time HP3 Director who possesses extensive leadership experience and is the perfect person to lead a complex nonstandard mission. And to date we have executed several components of the career exploration program and recently completed a pilot mentor program. Perhaps most significantly, a segment of the community that includes the Mayor, School Superintendent, local Community College President, several members of the City Council, Chamber of Commerce President, and parts of the business community support the program and believe that a sustained systemic effort can succeed. Time will tell.

Achieving this goal clearly was not realistic a decade ago. It is now. A host of tools and resources are available that change the equation – flexible and creative Community College programs, professional credentialing courses for in-demand skills, virtual tours of career fields and businesses, structured apprenticeships/internships, and affordable ride-share options to get there are just some examples. There are others.

And as divisive as our politics appear, in the past we have found ways to collaborate in narrow areas when the situation desperately required it. Look back to the late 1930s when the animosity between supporters of the New Deal and parts of the business community was as severe as our current divide. But by 1940 they put aside huge differences and orchestrated the mobilization of the US industrial base that ultimately won the Second World War. Today, we need to isolate this one area – every public student to a true living wage job – from the divisive emotional issues that define our current politics and generate a similar common sense of purpose to address another clear threat to our future.

Dealing with the external security threats I outlined in my opening is essential to protecting our future. But systemically extending the notion of the American Dream to all Americans and sustaining a large middle class is also central to our nation’s long-term viability, strength, and welfare. HP3 is an initial effort to find a practical, nonpartisan, and effective solution to achieve this at the community level.

Note - This article was originally published in RealClearDefense on January 16, 2023