[Mr. Jeeves]

I think Buffett is another liberal victim of French Revolution Syndrome - he realizes he is only one flash mob away from losing everything, and hopes he can use government largesse and loud public declarations of his own holiness to buy himself peace of mind.

The mob he fears will still hang him first.

[expatpat]

No, his position is more prosaic. He owns a lot of insurance companies and through them has placed a lot of bets that will cost him dearly if the economy tanks further. His aim is to have taxpayers shore up the economy to save his a$$.