Economic medicine that was previously meted out by the cupful has recently been dispensed by the barrel. These once unthinkable dosages will almost certainly bring on unwelcome after-effects. Their precise nature is anyone’s guess, though one likely consequence is an onslaught of inflation.

Buffett frames aggressive economic stimulus—especially monetary and fiscal interventions—as a powerful drug: helpful in small, targeted doses but risky when administered at extraordinary scale. The “cupful” versus “barrel” contrast suggests a shift from conventional countercyclical measures to unprecedented expansion of liquidity and government support. His warning is not that the intervention is pointless, but that such magnitude makes side effects more probable and harder to predict. Inflation is singled out as a plausible outcome: when too much money and credit chase limited goods and services, prices can rise broadly, eroding purchasing power and distorting investment decisions. The quote captures Buffett’s preference for prudence and long-term consequences over short-term relief.