Financial titan Warren Buffett praised the U.S. government's response to the financial crisis Wednesday, writing in an open letter addressed to "Uncle Sam" that Washington responded well to a "destructive economic force unlike any seen for generations."
"Only one counterforce was available, and that was you, Uncle Sam," Buffett wrote. "Yes, you are often clumsy, even inept. But when businesses and people worldwide race to get liquid, you are the only party with the resources to take the other side of the transaction."
"In the darkest of days, Ben Bernanke, Hank Paulson, Tim Geithner and Sheila Bair grasped the gravity of the situation and acted with courage and dispatch," Buffett writes. "And though I never voted for George W. Bush, I give him great credit for leading, even as Congress postured and squabbled."And for critics who blame lax government oversight and regulation for the collapse of the housing market, Buffett again defends "Uncle Sam." 0:00 /1:56Ask Buffett: Investment decisions
"In truth, almost all of the country became possessed by the idea that home prices could never fall significantly," Buffett said.
"That was a mass delusion, reinforced by rapidly rising prices that discredited the few skeptics who warned of trouble. Delusions, whether about tulips or Internet stocks, produce bubbles," he added.
Berkshire Hathaway (BRKA, Fortune 500), Buffett's company, might have been the last to fall, "but that distinction provided little solace," he said.
From Buffett to Uncle Sam: Thanks by , November 17, 2010 at CNN Money.com.
The letter is Pretty Good for Government Work by , November 16, 2010 at The New York Times.
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