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The week's question
In December 2024, in the thread "Re: BRK: Why Not XOM?", BreckHutHigh asked the members: "What about the long road trips with kids?" This week it is put to everyone again. The button below opens the small thread re-asking it - read what others have said so far, then give your own answer as an ordinary reply.
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Stocks A to Z / Stocks B / Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)
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Author: mungofitch 🐝🐝🐝 GOLD
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Number: of 21944 
Subject: Re: Spy down another 4 percent,
Date: 04/10/25 9:07 AM
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No. of Recommendations: 18
Forget the tariffs, look at the geopolitics.
...
Sounds dire.
I'll contrast your statement with Buffet's (an American) in 2021:
...Our unwavering conclusion: Never bet against America."


Mr Buffett has been correct about this in the past. But the past is a different place.

To assume that something will keep happening because it happened in the past, "engineer's induction", is not always good enough. He's continuing to make an all-in wager on that, as he always has, because he trusts the rules of thumb that have worked throughout his life and likely always will. Sometimes that works out, sometimes not.

One might argue that his reasons are not merely because of past observations, but because of fundamental advantages. Fair enough, that makes sense. But the most productive places are those with minimally distorting industrial policy, strong and predictable rule of law, open capital accounts, well educated workers and demos, and high trade intensity. If there were league tables for that list, the US would be way lower than it was in the past.

I'd say think it's time to remove the word "never", at least. I've made [redacted] betting against America this week, enough that I am up nicely month-to-date. I imagine I'll do fine elsewhere.

Jim

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This community has written 21,448 posts about Berkshire Hathaway. The article-length ones it recommended most:
BRK: Why Not XOM? · 62 recs · 2024
Second quarter comments · 60 recs · 2023
Berkshire's Profit Contributors · 57 recs · 2023
Summary of 2Q 2026 · 54 recs · 2026
3Q Summary · 53 recs · 2024
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