Trump’s ‘marching orders’ to the Pentagon: Plan a grand military parade

WaPo ^ | 6 Feb 2018 | Greg Jaffe and Philip Rucker

[GoldenState_Rose]

Yes my only experience with these kinds of parades was in Russia. Can you explain your point of view? I know France does them...

[GoldenState_Rose]

Is there a precedent from our history? What did our founders think of such displays? Is the prophet Isaiah warning against them?

[jmacusa]

LOL!!! Yeah man! Across the chest like the WW2 guys did.

[Bernard Marx]

I suspect you’ve expressed a point of view that would be strongly supported by all Trump haters throughout the world. To me that signals that it’s exactly the right thing to do.

So you believe spending millions of dollars from a defense budget that's already stressed to nearly the breaking point is "exactly the right thing to do?" How about spending that money on needed parts for combat aircraft and other combat equipment?

I'm one of the strongest Trump supporter's you'll ever meet but I don't see the point of staging a huge, very costly parade at the expense of our military. Trump would risk comparisons to Kim Jon Un or his Soviet predecessors' parades in Red Square. How will this persuade Democrats vote increases to the defense budget?

[jmacusa]

And Obama had no problem telling the Air Force to get Air Force 1 ready every time he felt like it. Getting that plane ready to fly is veritably an all day, labor and logistically intensive process involving hundreds of people and a lot of effort.

[Hugin]

Very bad idea IMO. Tinpot dictators stage big military parades but American presidents speak softly and carry big sticks. We have many other ways of letting foreign powers know we are strong. Besides, the Opposition is all to ready to typecast Trump as a “dictator” and this would fuel their media propaganda attacks.

You are correct, which is why I don't believe a word of it. Amazing how many folks here are ready to believe a fake news WaPo anonymous source.

[HKMk23]

“...might as well use those resources to round up all the swamp dwellers in one fell swoop.”

Nah. Go block-busting and purge D.C. of all vestiges of MS-13. They could begin by rooting out the sympathizers at the Rayburn House Office building.

[Krosan]

They have updated the story with a confirmation from the White House.

“After The Washington Post first published this story, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued a statement confirming that plans are underway.”

[trebb]

Nothing like a show of strength and patriotism to piss them libs off....;-}

[DoodleDawg]

And Obama had no problem telling the Air Force to get Air Force 1 ready every time he felt like it.

What president hasn't done that?

[DoodleDawg]

I call BS as well. Trump isn't going to waste millions of dollars, probably 10 million+ for some huge parade that would shut down a decent chunk of Washington for a day or two (which would cost millions more).

The Pentagon has confirmed that the planning is underway at the President's request.

[Political Junkie Too]

What do you think, should Trump grant himself the commission of Colonel (like Khaddafy, who never got a promotion) or Generalissimo?

-PJ

[Vigilanteman]

A .22 or a 9 mm would be sufficient to give the eunuchs of the media the vapors. Maybe even an air rifle.

[wbarmy]

the Opposition is all to ready to typecast Trump as a “dictator” and this would fuel their media propaganda attacks.

Are you saying that without the parade they will stop calling him a "dictator"?

[af_vet_rr]

The Pentagon has confirmed that the planning is underway at the President's request.

You have got to be kidding me. This is a ridiculous waste of money, and it plays right into the portrayal of somebody who needs their ego stroked. I'm expecting a bunch of Photoshopped images of him with a ton of medals on his chest.

If he wants a parade to watch people in uniform march by, let him go to West Point or Annapolis in a few months for the graduation ceremonies. They are right up the road, and would not cost untold millions of dollars that he and Congress keep telling us we don't have.

[livius]

I’ve always thought that a military component on the 4th would be a great idea. I vaguely recall from my childhood that there used to be somewhat more of a military presence on the 4th, although it wasn’t on a grand scale. But it could be grander!

[livius]

Wow! That’s great - so many places are so intimidated by the reigning anti-Americanism now (in our own country!) that they have only tiny Veteran’s Day celebrations. But I do recall that, even in NYC where I grew up, there used to be very nice parades...no Indians, though, alas!

BTW, if you haven’t seen the movie Hostiles, go see it! It deals with a professional military man amidst the chaos of the Old West but it includes a very rational portrait of the Indian peoples too. And it’s beautiful, a true Western with great scenes of wide open spaces and lots of horses - and guns.

[DoodleDawg]

You have got to be kidding me. This is a ridiculous waste of money, and it plays right into the portrayal of somebody who needs their ego stroked. I'm expecting a bunch of Photoshopped images of him with a ton of medals on his chest.

Twitter is way ahead of you: Link

If he wants a parade to watch people in uniform march by, let him go to West Point or Annapolis in a few months for the graduation ceremonies. They are right up the road, and would not cost untold millions of dollars that he and Congress keep telling us we don't have.

And if he wants to honor the military then spend an hour or two wandering around Arlington.

[Professional]

“Would rather watch a U.S. Military parade than the super bowl”

Post of the week!

[AFret.]

“The marching orders were: I want a parade like the one in France,”

---

Old Joke...

Q. Why are the streets in Paris tree lined?

A. So the German army can march in the shade..