What Fred Thompson is saying below isn’t new. As far back as the late 80’s people were getting very worried about the then-$2 trillion national debt and the prospect of endless deficits to come. Ridley Scott’s created The Deficit Trials 2017 A.D. as a commercial to follow President Reagan’s State of the Union address.

The commercial never ran on network television — all three networks refused. Some thought that it was “too controversial” (read: it might land them in trouble with the powers-that-be). Here’s Dan Rather reporting on something his network was too chicken to run:

Seems so quaint today, getting all upset over $2 trillion dollars. But at the time the deficits of the 70’s and 80’s were enough to allow the very flawed Ross Perot to get 19% of the popular vote in 1992. Now we’re at what, $10 trillion? Like Fred, I’ve lost count. Especially with Congress and the new President thinking they can spend anything now.

Or, to paraphrase Sen Dirksen: “A trillion here, a trillion there, and pretty soon you’re talking real money”?