Warren Buffett’s Bullish On America
Fear mongering is reaching epic proportions.
It makes me sick. I guess it’s just too easy to prey on the fear of the unknown for some people to resist.
They’ll go on and on about the downfalls, shortcomings, and the eventual demise of civilization as we know it. They can cite scary statistics with the best of them.
They’ll point to the Fed’s 0% interest rates and quantitative easing or the lousy housing market. They’ll even cite the bailouts and stimulus as evidence the government is out to replace private business.
But they don’t stop there…
They can scare you with the high unemployment rate and rising commodity prices. And don’t forget the biggie… the destruction of the US Dollar!
They twist and turn the information until it fits their view. Then they show you just how the end will come. And I’ve got to give it to them… they have a convincing argument.
Here’s the kicker…
What am I supposed to do? Should I buy stocks, bonds, ETFs?
Oh, that’s right, invest in gold and silver bars and coins.
Huh?!?
So, if the world falls apart, I’m going to take a few gold pieces to the guys with food and resources and trade them for it. I almost forgot, in a post apocalyptic world, nothing is more important than shiny metals with no practical use!
Give me a break.
Listen, if it all goes down… then you want to own a farm. You need to go off the grid. You need to be self sufficient. You need to own guns and ammo. And maybe a tin-foil hat to make sure “they” can’t read your thoughts.
Then again, there’s a word for people like that… What’s it again? Oh yeah, Crazy!
After all of the fear mongering, it’s time for a voice of reason… someone to bring a little humor and perspective to the situation.
Thank goodness Warren Buffett’s letter to Berkshire Hathaway shareholders hit my inbox this weekend. It was just what I needed.
I was only a few pages into the letter before Mr. Buffett shook some sense into me. He woke me from my fear fueled fog so I could see the fear mongering jesters’ true colors.
If you’re gripped by fear and convinced the problems facing the world today are too great to overcome… read this quote from the Oracle of Omaha’s shareholder letter.
“Money will always flow toward opportunity, and there is an abundance of that in America. Commentators today often talk of “great uncertainty.” But think back, for example, to December 6, 1941, October 18, 1987 and September 10, 2001. No matter how serene today may be, tomorrow is always uncertain.
Don’t let that reality spook you. Throughout my lifetime, politicians and pundits have constantly moaned about terrifying problems facing America. Yet our citizens now live an astonishing six times better than when I was born.
The prophets of doom have overlooked the all-important factor that is certain: Human potential is far from exhausted, and the American system for unleashing that potential – a system that has worked wonders for over two centuries despite frequent interruptions for recessions and even a Civil War – remains alive and effective.
We are not natively smarter than we were when our country was founded nor do we work harder. But look around you and see a world beyond the dreams of any colonial citizen. Now, as in 1776, 1861, 1932 and 1941, America’s best days lie ahead.”
I couldn’t have said it better myself. It’s time to be bullish on America!
Category: Stocks
