America Needs a Pearl Harbor Moment on AI — Before It's Too Late

Thirty years ago, on December 7th, 1995 — Pearl Harbor Day — Bill Gates used a historical metaphor to shake Microsoft out of its complacency. In the face of the Internet revolution and Netscape's rise, Gates warned his company that the world was changing fast, and Microsoft had to go "all in" to survive. That wake-up call became a turning point in tech history.
With China's DeepSeek AI surge, I can't help but feel we're there again — as a nation. And this time, it's not just a company at stake. It's America.
It is breathtaking to see the Chinese ambition: A Huawei campus the size of 225 football fields. An AI-powered industrial engine fueled by millions of STEM graduates. DeepSeek, HarmonyOS, EVs, self-driving tech, and hundreds of thousands of fast chargers. This is not copycat innovation — it's genuine, large-scale, state-backed, market-executed AI transformation.
Meanwhile, in the U.S., we’re distracted. We argue over culture wars while China installs the AI backbone of tomorrow’s economy. Their "fitness club" model for national innovation is winning: coordinated education, infrastructure, workforce development, and aggressive AI deployment.
We need our own Pearl Harbor Moment.
We need to say: Enough.
We need a national AI strategy that matches the scope and urgency of the challenge. Here's where we start:
Massive Investment in STEM Education & Vocational AI Training
Triple AI and computer science programs in K-12 and universities.
Expand federal funding for AI apprenticeships and trade schools.
AI Infrastructure for the People
Fund open-access compute clusters in every state.
Create a national AI cloud for startups, researchers, and small businesses.
National AI Corps
A new AmeriCorps-style program that deploys AI talent into agriculture, healthcare, education, and manufacturing.
Incentives for Public-Private AI Partnerships
Match Chinese joint ventures with American-led moonshots.
Allow secure collaboration between vetted foreign tech firms and U.S. companies.
AI for Democracy
Fund ethical, transparent, and democratic uses of AI.
Ensure our AI tools reflect American values and protect civil liberties.
As a candidate for Congress, I believe this isn’t just an economic issue. It’s a national security issue. A workforce issue. A future-of-America issue. If we wait for the perfect plan, we’ll lose to a country that already has one.
We need boldness, not bureaucracy. We need vision, not nostalgia. We need to channel our inner Gates.
It’s time for Maximum Effort--Full Stoke!

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