Donald Trump informed his top military people that he wanted a big military parade on Pennsylvania Avenue, probably on Veterans Day.
He liked what he experienced in France. He notices what Kim Jong-un does in North Korea. He wants a parade to call his own.
The media understands something Trump does not. This is a very bad idea for Trump.
For two years Trump has regularly and consistently out played the media. He understood the media's needs and the public mood better than did the media. It made him president. But Trump's bigger-than-life grandiosity has betrayed him.
The media understands something Trump does not. This is a very bad idea for Trump.
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| Washington Post |
On February 7 Donald Trump made a formal request to General Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, and Defense Secretary Jim Mattis to investigate and plan a military parade.
The request came down from Trump, not up from the military.
The request came down from Trump, not up from the military.
The mainstream media love the story. The Washington Post, NY Times, CBS, ABC, CNN, and MSNBC feature the story prominently. They have photos of military parades, including the one in France on Bastille Day, that Trump attended and highly praised.
CBS News has the story near the top. ABC News has it the top story, again with photos. NBC News introduces the story with a criticism. Their headline reads "Senator: Trump's military parade 'a fantastic waste of money'".
CBS News has the story near the top. ABC News has it the top story, again with photos. NBC News introduces the story with a criticism. Their headline reads "Senator: Trump's military parade 'a fantastic waste of money'".
Trump looks like a mixture of silly and dangerous. He is either a silly grandstander, or he is growing into a dictator want-to-be. The point gotten to quickly in the mainstream media is that grand military parades are rare in America they have taken place after wars are completed. They are celebrations, not show-off threats. They honor the military, not the politician.
They are associated with authoritarian dictatorships and grand personalities, not a democratic republic. (Yes, military parades are an annual event in France, on Bastille Day, because France is France, and tradition is tradition. It doesn't count.)
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| NBC News |
Foreign strong men have military parades. The most frequent images in the American mind are historical, of goose stepping Nazis from the 1930s. When they happen now, they are done by our threats and enemies: North Korea. The Soviet Union and now Russia. China. Americans don't think they look grand. We think they look bellicose.
Now Trump wants to copy him and out-do him.
The topic is nearly invisible in the pro-Trump media system. They are protecting Trump from himself. They understand the optics.
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| Hannity Mocks North Korea |
Trump's media allies are generally ignoring the story. Fox News has a tiny story, available only by using the Search function, and every other source ignores it all together. Nothing in Breitbart. Nothing on the Limbaugh website.
Nothing on the Hannity website. The Weekly Standard and National Review, which early on were never-Trump, but who have been pulled into the system, both ignore the topic.
Sean Hannity has a story on military parades. It mocks Kim Jong-un for having one. Hannity knows it looks silly to Americans.
Apparently Trump does not.
Apparently Trump does not.
3 comments:
Nothing more than a demonstration of complete ignorance of history, not to mention common decency.
Western democracies have studiously avoided military displays in the nuclear age, and France's is modest, more of a pagent than a waving of swords. With the specter of world annihilation looming behind every state disagreement most countries have wisely chosen to maintain robust diplomatic and economic relations to resolve disputes and gain advantage. The Trump cult is stuck in 19th century notions of imperial power, and their flag waving would be quaint if it were not so dangerous.
I’m not sure to what extent this will negatively affect his standing. When you have him saying that refusing to applaud his speeches is tantamount to treason; and his supporters don’t disagree, I think the horse is out of the stable on reigning him in. Here’s a thought experiment: think of the most egregious thing he could do or say, then play out in your mind how the GOP leadership and media cronies might spin it to rationalize, support or otherwise celebrate it. They’ve gone too far to turn back.
I love a parade. I think it would be neat to see a line of nuclear missiles, tanks, troops and Miss America contestants in formation parading down Pennsylvania Ave. Trump would stand in review sporting his medals he earned during the Vietnam War. Is there a medal for bone spurs? It would make him feel really important, like any dictator would. It would draw attention to himself and give his supporters a warm feeling of unity. Perhaps a contingent of Neo Nazis and KKK's could pull up the rear. Might as well include them, too. Just to really scare Un.
I'm not sure about the band. I'm thinking banjos. A marching banjo band. Add in a few bombs bursting in air and you have the makings of a great parade. The only problem, would anybody show up who wasn't forced to?
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