If your president is throwing himself a forty five million dollar military parade for his seventy ninth birthday, you are no longer living in a normal country.
And balls too. Lots of dancing and having fun. It's probably the only occasion most service members have to wear the mess dress uniform which is the military equivalent of a tux.
At the risk of sounding like an apologetic but I think Putin least belongs in this list. I think he is rather restrained when it comes to both this kind of imagery as well as actually abusing power for personal goals. I'm not saying he's a saint or a saviour but he actually respects his own political and legal restraints.
Also, I think Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein were quite a different quality of person, but I get it. Ideally we'd have none of them.
> "If your president is throwing himself a forty five million dollar military parade for his seventy ninth birthday, you are no longer living in a normal country."
Some merit in that argument, but maybe a bit "overwrought":
SkyNews: "The 250th anniversary of the United States Army could see hundreds of thousands descend on Washington DC to watch as 60-ton M1 Abrams battle tanks and Paladin self-propelled howitzers rumble along the streets.
But, like almost everything Donald Trump is involved in, it has not come without controversy or criticism.
It wasn't originally planned as a birthday celebration - the event had been in the works since before Trump was elected - but earlier this year the President announced his intention to add a massive military parade to the event, which would coincide with his own 79th birthday."
The nature of the beast is such that the President is more or less an emperor for four years. When Congress and the Senate are crippled by partisanship and corruption then it's the President who has to step in and resolve the issues with deciding "votes". Even if he may periodically exceed his authority -- which is clearly something of a moving target.
You might have some interest in the history and/or the roots of fascism which basically starts from the "bundle of sticks" that signified the authority of imperial Rome:
Wikipedia: "Since the original founding of the United States in the 18th century, several offices and institutions in the United States have heavily incorporated representations of the fasces into much of their iconography. .....
• Two fasces appear on either side of the flag of the United States behind the podium in the United States House of Representatives, with bronze examples replacing the previous gilded iron installments during the remodeling project of 1950;
• The Mace of the United States House of Representatives resembles fasces and consists of thirteen ebony rods bound together in the same fashion as the fasces, topped by a silver eagle on a globe;
• The official seal of the United States Senate has as one component a pair of crossed fasces."
Seems to be many governmental groups, both in the US and in other countries, who have used that symbol. The question is whether the power is misused -- and it often is; power corrupts etc.
Saw a note the other day saying we’re heading for authoritarianism; and we will toggle back and forth between the left and right versions of it until whatever happens
If you are really so TDS affected that you can't understand that the majority of your own country voted for the removal of the illegal aliens that the auto pen puppet regime allowed in to destroy our country is in fact enforcement of our constitution in support of the security of the people.
Putting on a celebration for the 250th anniversary of this country's historical is taking pride in our military.
I suppose that you can find among the people of America who have a birthday on that day maybe they are dictators also?
Did you bitch about the millions MIke Obama spent on vacation after vacation while his ass-pirate husband was installed in the White House and doing all he could to damage the United States?
Didn't think so.
You're just another subverted idiot, barfing up your programmed jargon on cue.
The novelty of the parade is the lack of sophistication. I think this line is brilliant:
"Watch the parade closely. It is not entertainment."
For those of us outside of the US, especially in the "global south," we've been watching the parade for the last century. What else is the Hollywood propaganda machine, showing us all the success, might, and force of American presidents saving the world with their hardware? And when the CIA came to our countries, toppling democratically elected governments, we understood firsthand and in the flesh that this was not entertainment.
Naomi Klein says it in The Shock Doctrine, and Dave eloquently puts it in his post:
"The ICE raids were not about immigration. They were about optics. They were about building the excuse to roll out military hardware with a straight face." … so we get used to it.
It's the 250th birthday of the Army. That's the occasion of the parade. Kind of a big deal.
Yes, it is also flag day. I suppose if Trump‘s birthday was on December 25 you would accuse him of claiming to be the Messiah whatever
He actually has claimed that!
Is there a parade for Navy, Marines, Air Force, Coast Guard, National Guard? All for one or none for all.
Yes there are! Each branch has its own birthday. They all have different ages.
The Navy's birthday is Oct 13th and will also be 250 years old that day. The Marines will be 250 on Nov 10. On August 1st the Chair Force will be 118.
So three more parades in 2025?
There are always parades.
And balls too. Lots of dancing and having fun. It's probably the only occasion most service members have to wear the mess dress uniform which is the military equivalent of a tux.
At the risk of sounding like an apologetic but I think Putin least belongs in this list. I think he is rather restrained when it comes to both this kind of imagery as well as actually abusing power for personal goals. I'm not saying he's a saint or a saviour but he actually respects his own political and legal restraints.
Also, I think Gaddafi and Saddam Hussein were quite a different quality of person, but I get it. Ideally we'd have none of them.
Cult of Personality.... (Great song btw)
This is a great post. The entire parade was absolutely surreal.
https://substack.com/@quantumanimation/note/c-126540059
We do not put tanks on the street so the president can wave like a beauty queen at the apocalypse…A GREAT FUCKING PHRASE!!!
Good article and accurate analysis.
Thanks Dave!
YOU HAVE BEEN SUBVERTED. YOU ARE DELUSIONAL. YOU NEED HELP TO REPAIR THE DAMAGE DONE TO YOU. YOU ARE NOT IN TOUCH WITH REALITY. YOU NEED HELP.
Tanks are dictators with hard-ons
Very level headed thought.
> "If your president is throwing himself a forty five million dollar military parade for his seventy ninth birthday, you are no longer living in a normal country."
Some merit in that argument, but maybe a bit "overwrought":
SkyNews: "The 250th anniversary of the United States Army could see hundreds of thousands descend on Washington DC to watch as 60-ton M1 Abrams battle tanks and Paladin self-propelled howitzers rumble along the streets.
But, like almost everything Donald Trump is involved in, it has not come without controversy or criticism.
It wasn't originally planned as a birthday celebration - the event had been in the works since before Trump was elected - but earlier this year the President announced his intention to add a massive military parade to the event, which would coincide with his own 79th birthday."
https://news.sky.com/story/why-trumps-military-birthday-parade-is-so-controversial-13382096
The nature of the beast is such that the President is more or less an emperor for four years. When Congress and the Senate are crippled by partisanship and corruption then it's the President who has to step in and resolve the issues with deciding "votes". Even if he may periodically exceed his authority -- which is clearly something of a moving target.
You might have some interest in the history and/or the roots of fascism which basically starts from the "bundle of sticks" that signified the authority of imperial Rome:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasces
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fasces#United_States
Wikipedia: "Since the original founding of the United States in the 18th century, several offices and institutions in the United States have heavily incorporated representations of the fasces into much of their iconography. .....
• Two fasces appear on either side of the flag of the United States behind the podium in the United States House of Representatives, with bronze examples replacing the previous gilded iron installments during the remodeling project of 1950;
• The Mace of the United States House of Representatives resembles fasces and consists of thirteen ebony rods bound together in the same fashion as the fasces, topped by a silver eagle on a globe;
• The official seal of the United States Senate has as one component a pair of crossed fasces."
oh yea - this is the symbol of American power we need, lol
🙂 If the shoe fits and all that.
Seems to be many governmental groups, both in the US and in other countries, who have used that symbol. The question is whether the power is misused -- and it often is; power corrupts etc.
Saw a note the other day saying we’re heading for authoritarianism; and we will toggle back and forth between the left and right versions of it until whatever happens
If he were a dictator/king, you would NEVER be able to put this drivel out. But here it is.
TLDR: Pretend you don’t know about the 250th birthday of the Army, and call Trump a dictator to rile up the blue hairs. “Trump is Hitler!”
Please, leftists, just unplug for 4 years and live your lives. No one is stopping you and you’ll be happier.
If you are really so TDS affected that you can't understand that the majority of your own country voted for the removal of the illegal aliens that the auto pen puppet regime allowed in to destroy our country is in fact enforcement of our constitution in support of the security of the people.
Putting on a celebration for the 250th anniversary of this country's historical is taking pride in our military.
I suppose that you can find among the people of America who have a birthday on that day maybe they are dictators also?
Sour grapes
If the shoe fits you, princess cry baby, wear its…
Sex & Candy/Marcy Playground https://open.spotify.com/track/5mkGfmJGFZpwK9nA5amOhv?si=kbfMRU1CSi62j_ef3tHfbw
Did you bitch about the millions MIke Obama spent on vacation after vacation while his ass-pirate husband was installed in the White House and doing all he could to damage the United States?
Didn't think so.
You're just another subverted idiot, barfing up your programmed jargon on cue.
The novelty of the parade is the lack of sophistication. I think this line is brilliant:
"Watch the parade closely. It is not entertainment."
For those of us outside of the US, especially in the "global south," we've been watching the parade for the last century. What else is the Hollywood propaganda machine, showing us all the success, might, and force of American presidents saving the world with their hardware? And when the CIA came to our countries, toppling democratically elected governments, we understood firsthand and in the flesh that this was not entertainment.
Naomi Klein says it in The Shock Doctrine, and Dave eloquently puts it in his post:
"The ICE raids were not about immigration. They were about optics. They were about building the excuse to roll out military hardware with a straight face." … so we get used to it.