A Song About National Debt: "You're Gonna Pay"

Nick Gillespie | July 31, 2011

Glenn Reynolds recommends this entry into Powerline's music-video contest about the current crisis. It's a catchy little number and all that's missing (IMO) is an indication of just how much the Grand Old Party contributed to the free-spending, free-booting, and free-loading culture that has eaten a giant hole in the federal balance sheet.

Why does that matter? For the simple reason that however the debt-limit issue gets resolved in the short run, folks such as Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio) are unlikely to change their wicked, wicked ways once the pressure is off; historically, they are big spenders and they did diddly-squat to tamp down outlays when their party controlled the purse. When it comes to financial investments, past performance is no guarantee of future returns. When it comes to pols, though, the past is prelude all too much. So if the establishment Republicans are talking a better game of late, it's important to remember that it's only because they're being made to by those of us who actually want smaller government and smaller spending.

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Bingo|7.31.11 @ 6:53PM|#

Can someone provide an explanation of the "McConnell compromise" that's being splashed all over Drudge right now?

Bar Taker|7.31.11 @ 6:57PM|#

Bend over and they'll show you.

Barack Obama|7.31.11 @ 7:06PM|#

Let me be clear.

Don't look at me.

|7.31.11 @ 7:24PM|#

Imagine a condom.....wrapped in Concertina wire.

|7.31.11 @ 9:03PM|#

Picture a candy coated dog turd.

Bingo|7.31.11 @ 9:58PM|#

Melts in your mouth, not in your hands?

Fist of Etiquette|7.31.11 @ 7:29PM|#

It's a catchy little number and all that's missing (IMO) is an indication of just how much the Grand Old Party contributed...

I don't know, he included Bush bailouts and prescription drugs in his video. There's no anti-war movement anymore so you really can't expect anyone to include military spending.

SIV|7.31.11 @ 9:36PM|#

He references our permanent military presence in Europe.The Bush stuff was in there. Might be more a case of "playing to the audience" at Powerline.

yonemoto|7.31.11 @ 8:21PM|#

he's no remy

Paul|8.1.11 @ 1:31AM|#

He's better. In some ways.

Remy: Better videos
This guy: catchier tune, worse video

Philosoraptor|7.31.11 @ 8:33PM|#

I think it's a damn shame that, even at a time when we have a senseless war in Libya that Team Red is opposed to, we can't talk about defense budget cuts.

Come on guys. Why do we have 28,500 troops in South Korea?

|7.31.11 @ 8:38PM|#

4 de chilrunz?

A Serious Man|7.31.11 @ 9:35PM|#

Imagine a world without K-pop.

yonemoto|7.31.11 @ 10:19PM|#

Imagine a world without championship SCV rushes.

http://video.google.com/videop.....6276153850

Paul|8.1.11 @ 1:34AM|#

What's Pocari Sweat? Is that Korean for Booty Juice?

robc|8.1.11 @ 9:05AM|#

It had marine support. Lame.

Anonymous Coward|7.31.11 @ 11:47PM|#

This is why we stay in South Korea. Because the thought of Kim Jong Il getting his grubby little fingers on them is too terrible to imagine.

Federal Budget|7.31.11 @ 11:55PM|#

You Goldwatered the link.

Anonymous Coward|8.1.11 @ 12:48AM|#

I's sowwy. It could have been worse. I could have SF'd the link.

Real link

Bingo|8.1.11 @ 12:51AM|#

From left to right:

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes

A Serious Man|8.1.11 @ 12:59AM|#

South Korea: the Plastic Surgery Capitol of the World!
http://www.asianplasticsurgery.....ghest.html

Anonymous Coward|8.1.11 @ 1:06AM|#

Per capita? Yes. Total number of procedures? America is still #1!

USA! USA! USA!

Pol Pot|8.1.11 @ 1:14AM|#

It's not the total number that matters, it's the number per capita. I keep telling Mao that his 78 million out of a population of 500 million pales in comparison to my 2 million out of a population of 8 million, and in a 3-year period to boot.

rather|8.1.11 @ 1:54AM|#

wrong
Brazil

Paul|8.1.11 @ 1:39AM|#

But...

Philosoraptor|8.1.11 @ 12:03AM|#

A stiff breeze could knock over the starved "army" of North Korea.

Zuo|8.1.11 @ 12:34AM|#

The ROK has a massive fuckin military, and its equipped with some of the best tanks, artillery, aircraft, and small arms available. It would annhilate any European country, for example.

So yeah, why do we have 30k American fuckups there, "backing up" a army 20x that size, thats just as well equipped? And the enemy is a joke, on top of that?

Because the military is nothing more than a welfare program.

Anonymous Coward|8.1.11 @ 12:55AM|#

America's largest, longest running, and best-funded jobs program.

This is, of course, not a good thing.

Name Nomad|8.1.11 @ 6:50AM|#

The strategic reason is to make sure that the Norks know that they'll be at war with the US if they tap-dance across the border (or burrow under it), bomb South Korea, etc. Why South Korea backed up by Japan wouldn't be enough, I don't know.

SF|8.1.11 @ 8:11AM|#

The racial hatred between Japanese and Koreans gets in the way of your geopolitics.

SIV|7.31.11 @ 9:38PM|#

Because Truman shit-canned MacArthur.

Bill Clinton|7.31.11 @ 10:20PM|#

Because we can.

Mongo|7.31.11 @ 8:54PM|#

I like monkeys.

|7.31.11 @ 9:00PM|#

Holy shit, "other" is almost a trillion bucks. Cut that thing out right there.

|7.31.11 @ 9:23PM|#

Hey, fuck you! That's for office supplies! That other trillion they didn't include was fore sexual harassment seminar tapes, starring Ben Bernanke and Lady Liberty.

Rule 34|7.31.11 @ 10:11PM|#

For the math whizes - am I infinite but bounded, or finite but unbounded?

yonemoto|7.31.11 @ 10:25PM|#

do you have AC or not?

Rule 34|7.31.11 @ 10:33PM|#

Sometimes. Sorry to be Kurt with you.

|7.31.11 @ 11:27PM|#

Finite but unbounded.

Douglas Fletcher|7.31.11 @ 9:40PM|#

The Powerline Prize isn't a music video contest, it was open to any media or genre, including paintings, powerpoint presentations, etc.

Nothing To See Here|7.31.11 @ 11:58PM|#

Same as it ever was. Look where my hand was.

Au H20|8.1.11 @ 12:08AM|#

So I saw some flapping head on MSNBC talking about how "far to the right" the Democrats had moved. Holy shit, when we actually need to cut things, because the bond market bites us in the ass(5-10 years in the future, mostly because Europe will look so much worse as a bet during the preceding years). Jesus, can you imagine the reaction the IMF telling us, "Yeah, you're going to need to ration care under Medicare...just like all the single payer systems"?

Mr. FIFY|8.1.11 @ 12:22AM|#

That's Team Blue for ya. They bitch about the stupidest shit.

Pol Pot|8.1.11 @ 12:23AM|#

Imagine if I were a Democrat...

Fidel Castro|8.1.11 @ 12:24AM|#

Would they even let me join?

Karl Marx|8.1.11 @ 12:26AM|#

I may be too far to the right for modern Democrats.

Tony|8.1.11 @ 12:38AM|#

*fap*fap*fap*

Au H20|8.1.11 @ 12:22AM|#

So Instapundit just gave me comment of the day...

http://reason.com/blog/2011/07.....nt_2425007

http://pajamasmedia.com/instapundit/125348/

I AM SO EXCITED AND HAPPY RIGHT NOW!!!

Big Sis|8.1.11 @ 12:25AM|#

You'll never fly commercial again, Au.

Au H20|8.1.11 @ 12:33AM|#

Yeah, the TSA does monitor that site pretty quick. BTW, how is Rapture treating you?

Big Sis|8.1.11 @ 12:38AM|#

[COMMENT REDACTED]

MediaMatters|8.1.11 @ 12:41AM|#

We'd reprint this, Au, but you're not important enough to meet our standards.

Plus, Uncle George hasn't given us our allowance this week.

|8.1.11 @ 12:58AM|#

So Glenn Reynolds reads these boards?

Au H20|8.1.11 @ 1:38AM|#

Apparently.

Mean Mr. Snark|8.1.11 @ 6:55AM|#

It's always a tight race at H&R, but I'm giving you Narcissist of the Day.

Joe M|8.1.11 @ 4:35PM|#

I like how he censored all the curse words... except for the first "shit".

Almanian|8.1.11 @ 12:49AM|#

Wow, I go on vacation a couple days, and basically nothing has changed.

Whoda thunk it?

Happy beginning of August, Reasonoids!

tory burch reva|8.1.11 @ 1:37AM|#

really nice song! expect a nice august!

rather|8.1.11 @ 1:43AM|#

I'm not so sure the public will buy the last minute 'deal' BS. We may be at the genesis of our own political spring

No One Cares|8.1.11 @ 2:07AM|#

Nice reporting there, Dan.

about|8.1.11 @ 5:00AM|#

you

ever|8.1.11 @ 5:44AM|#

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coniefox|8.1.11 @ 5:28AM|#

Song also express the real life.

lovebagsdenise|8.1.11 @ 6:19AM|#

Music is our soul.
http://www.newest-bag.com

|8.1.11 @ 8:50AM|#

Sounds like a very good plan to me dude. Wow.

www.privacy-tools.no.tc

mike|8.1.11 @ 11:35AM|#

Please see this for a different take on the numbers in the chart. The conclusion that we must cut outlays remains but the Fed can't be left out of the equation.

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