23.28% - Thanks Pres. Obama

[FreakinDJ]

I lost some of my retirement savings like everyone else in the country. I pulled out of the market COMPLETELY when the DJIA was at 10,000

When stocks hit historic LOWS (DJIA 6700) and Pres. Obama said "There are some really good values in the stock market" I placed 1/2 of the retirement nest egg back in the market. When they then climbed to 7200 DJIA I placed the other 1/2 of my savings back in the market.

Just 6 short months later my funds have grown at a rate of 23.28%

Best part is I know Pres. Obama has plans to return Manufacturing back to the American Economy. That is where administrations before him failed the American people. That was the main contributing factor in the demise of our economy. We can't manufacture bad loans (financial products) and expect to have a robust economy in light of the FAILED policies of the WTO

So once again - Thanks Pres. Obama - you were right !!!

[Statistical]

1. Manufacturing never left US economy (except in some peoples mind)

US is the largest manufacturer in the world.
US is the third largest exporter in the world.

[FreakinDJ]

2. Sure if you count Financial Products and Hamburgers

Just talk to anyone in the manufacturing who HAS NOT been affected by the lop-sided WTO rules.

Here is a place where you should do some reading. These are ACTUAL manufactures trying to survive in the Service Industry Economy the past administrations have put us in.

http://www.practicalmachinist.com/vb/showthread.php/china-trade-precious-metals-187385.html

[Statistical]

6. Finances & Retail food aren't part of manufacturing.

US is largest manufacturer in the world and third largest exporter in the world.

Industrial Output by Country (2005)
US 2.70T
Japan 1.24T
China 1.20T
Germany 0.83T
UK 0.60T
Brazil 0.59T

Low margin products are being squeezed but not just by China, by the rest of the developing world. Brazil is going to be a major industrial powerhouse in coming decade.

Most of US manufacturing exports are high skill, high margin, tight tolerance products (reactors, jets, weapon systems, shipping). Anyway you look at it US industrial output is greater than Japan & China combined.

[FreakinDJ]

9. Waste Oil, Bulk Grain, and Scrap Steel - our Top Exports

Nothing from the "Value Added" manufacturing sector

[Statistical]

13. Completely wrong.

One we export very little crude oil (moderate amount of refined products).
Wheat is an agricultural product isn't included in industry/manufacturing.

US creates a lot of value added products:
autos
ships
nuclear reactors
satellites
semiconductors
networking equipment
telecom equipment
heavy industrial machinery (Caterpillar)

You are saying none of these are "value added"? Come on. It is sad/funny how people rebel against facts that damage their preconcieved notions.

The simple fact is the US IS THE LARGEST MANUFACTURER in the world. Period. With industrial output twice that of China or Japan.

Just because most low cost low margin consumer goods aren't produced here that doesn't mean the US lacks industrial output. Far more than the effect of China is the effect of productivity. Greater productivity means less employees needed per unit of output. EXPORTS HAVE BEEN RISING SLOWER THAN PRODCUTIVITY. There is no need for the excess capacity = labor so jobs are hurting. None of that changes the fact that US is the largest industrial power in world.

[FreakinDJ]

16. Industrial Machine Tools are not "Low Margin" consumer goods

That is just 1 of the industries that has been shipped off shore. Many many reports on the internet of workers being laid off and whole factories being unbolted from the floor and shipped over-seas

Steel Manufacturing would be another.

I don't doubt your statistics but rather the means by which they have been generated. We all know for a time the Bush administration was contemplating counting Hamburger makers at McDonald's and other fast food chains as "Manufacturing Jobs" because the industry has hemorrhaging jobs at such an alarming pace (2002 - 2008). Don't doubt for a moment that some of those same accounting errors have yet to be purged by the Obama administration.

I for 1 believe "Blue Collar" jobs a vital part of the American economy

[imdjh]

3. What do we make and export?

[Statistical]

5. For starters...

Steel
Aluminum
Chemicals
Oil & Petroleum Products
Areospace
Heavy Industrial Machinery
Turbines
Nuclear Powerplants
Semi Conductors
Networking Equipment
Telecommunication Equipment
Heavy Vehicles
Commercial Ships
Weapon Systems
Autos
Locamotives

US Manufacturing is not down substantially despite the tired "we don't make anything" meme. US JOBS are down. A single manufacturing worker has more productivity than 3 workers in the past. That more than anything else has killed job growth. Productivity gains are outstripping new markets.

[tjwash]

8. You're wasting keystrokes with some of these people dude.

I work for one of the biggest microchip manufacturer's in the world, but got told by a bunch of concern trolls here, that, because all chip manufacturing has been moved offshore, that I am full of shit and lying to everyone.

[FreakinDJ]

11. Are you doing R&D or actual production

BTW: some folks at Intel asked for my resume several times

[TexasObserver]

4. let's see

[Nye Bevan]

7. Nice going, but do *not* keep *all* of your savings in the stock market

which it sounds like you are doing now. Take 100 minus your age and keep that percentage of your savings in stocks, with the remainder in cash or bonds. Rebalance every quarter to keep the percentage correct. So if stocks go down you will put more money in stocks when you rebalance, and if stocks go up you will sell stocks. But just maintain the percentage and don't try to time the market.

[NNN0LHI]

10. I am really happy for you FreakinDJ

Cheers ... :beer:

[smoogatz]

12. SELLLLLLLL!!!!

Seriously--you might want to be a bit cautious over the next six months or so.

[FreakinDJ]

15. Yep - I watch it pretty closely

Personally I think a lot of the talk of the "Double Slump" is BS.

Yes you can go thought the recorded history of the stock market during the Great Depression and track the Double slump but that was caused by a completely different set of circumstances then we have now.

First off the FED did nothing - for way too long. This was the policy of the then Fed Chair in 1929. Secondly they did have a Recovery Program of sorts but it has devised and implemented by the same folks that Manipulated and RAIDED the stock market in 1929, (JP Morgan and company). Not at all like the TARP program (which is arguably flawed) or the Reinvestment Act we have today.

As for Dr. Housing Bubble - BIG FUCKING DEAL - everyone with 1/2 a brain saw the Bursting of the Real Estate Bubble coming. Just that most could not imagine the 40 - 60% loss in value. I personally thought it would be more like 10 - 20%. A better question would be who here at DU trusted the "Re-Fi Economy" Bush devised and implemented.

and yes - I had been calling it the "Re-Fi Economy" since 2003

[mopinko]

14. me, too.

managed to see the fall coming, and didn't get creamed. but put a good chunk in funds that were buying up crushed assets. that money has doubled.