My mother told me to send thank-you notes promptly. I've been remiss.

Let me remind you why I'm writing. Just over two years ago, in September 2008, our country faced an economic meltdown. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the pillars that supported our mortgage system, had been forced into conservatorship. Several of our largest commercial banks were teetering. One of Wall Street's giant investment banks had gone bankrupt, and the remaining three were poised to follow. A.I.G., the world's most famous insurer, was at death's door.

Many of our largest industrial companies, dependent on commercial paper financing that had disappeared, were weeks away from exhausting their cash resources. Indeed, all of corporate America's dominoes were lined up, ready to topple at lightning speed. My own company, Berkshire Hathaway, might have been the last to fall, but that distinction provided little solace.

Nor was it just business that was in peril: 300 million Americans were in the domino line as well. Just days before, the jobs, income, 401(k)'s and money-market funds of these citizens had seemed secure. Then, virtually overnight, everything began to turn into pumpkins and mice. There was no hiding place. A destructive economic force unlike any seen for generations had been unleashed.

Only one counterforce was available, and that was you, Uncle Sam. 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. And when our citizens are losing trust by the hour in institutions they once revered, only you can restore calm.

When the crisis struck, I felt you would understand the role you had to play. But you've never been known for speed, and in a meltdown minutes matter. I worried whether the barrage of shattering surprises would disorient you. You would have to improvise solutions on the run, stretch legal boundaries and avoid slowdowns, like Congressional hearings and studies. You would also need to get turf-conscious departments to work together in mounting your counterattack. The challenge was huge, and many people thought you were not up to it.

Well, Uncle Sam, you delivered. People will second-guess your specific decisions; you can always count on that. But just as there is a fog of war, there is a fog of panic - and, overall, your actions were remarkably effective.

David Fuller's view He is right. I also think he is trying to calm some of the inflammatory and often partisan rhetoric in the current debate over the Fed's policies. It has escalated beyond constructive criticism.

The UK's former Prime Minister Gordon Brown responded even more quickly to the crisis and it was probably his best achievement. Governments seldom anticipate the big events but they are crisis oriented. The multilateral cooperation and decisive action following 2008's meltdown was effective.

Speaking in Frankfurt today, I thought Fed Chairman Bernanke provided a calm and effective defence of his policies. I heard the entire speech and hoped to post a full transcript. I have yet to see one but this report from FX/Times provides the highlights.