No. of Recommendations: 16
Are there any realistic steps an American citizen and resident can take to protect themselves against the kinds of perils that (rightly) concern you?
I'm not MF and have nothing like his kind of credibility here. But as a US citizen heavily invested in Berkshire, I share his concerns. The steps I am taking are (1) Emigration to an EU country on a path to permanent residency and eventual citizenship, leaving in a month or so (2) Selling the majority of my US equities (which are 80%+ BRK.B) and moving a large fraction of that to Euros in EU financial institutions.
Very possibly I'll lose out on huge gains. I don't need huge gains at this point in my life. I need confidence that I won't lose everything, or have it locked up behind embargos, sanctions, or military adventures. Importantly for my calculations, the EU has the ability to defend itself from hostile actors to either East or West, and early signs seem to be that it has the will to do so, as well.
My father fought in WW II (albeit in Asia, not Europe). I've studied enough history to understand the trajectory things are on. Of course, I could be wrong. I'd be very happy to be wrong.