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babylonsister

(172,104 posts)
Fri May 30, 2025, 11:38 AM Friday

We're minimizing the horror of Trump's military birthday parade


We’re minimizing the horror of Trump’s military birthday parade
Judith Levine
The media has focused on the price tag and potholes. But history may mark 14 June as the ceremonial birth of US fascism
Fri 30 May 2025 06.00 EDT


In 2017, watching a two-hour Bastille Day procession, Donald Trump told the French president that we’d have one too, only better. That time, the grown-ups said no. The reasons given were costs – estimates ran to $92m – hellish logistics, and the Washington DC mayor Muriel Bowser’s worried that tanks and other armored vehicles would tear up Washington’s streets.

Some retired generals objected publicly to the totalitarian-adjacent optics, especially given the US president’s praise for such bad actors as Saddam Hussein and Vladimir Putin. Several Republican lawmakers also expressed their distaste. “Confidence is silent, and insecurity is loud,” the Louisiana senator John Kennedy told MSNBC. “America is the most powerful country in all of human history ... and we don’t need to show it off. We’re not North Korea. We’re not Russia, we’re not China,” he continued, “and I don’t wanna be.”

This time, as Washington prepares for a huge military shindig on 14 June, Trump’s 79th – and, oh yes, the US army’s 250th – birthday, the generals are silent. The Republicans have sworn allegiance to the king. And the media are focused on the price tag, the potholes and the impending pomp; on tensions between the blue city of Washington and the red capital; and on the decimation of veterans’ healthcare, housing, and pensions while the administration throws $25m to $45m at a circus of war.

All are important parts of the story. Yet commentary is muted and the debate mischaracterized as normal political discourse. The horrific point is missed: the spectacle of a massive show of military might, before a president who behaves like a dictator and views the armed forces as his personal foot soldiers, evinces memories of the worst totalitarian regimes. History may mark 14 June 2025 as the ceremonial birth of a new American fascism.


more...

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/may/30/trump-military-parade-fascism
46 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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We're minimizing the horror of Trump's military birthday parade (Original Post) babylonsister Friday OP
As far as I'm concerned, June 14 is Flag Day and also Taco Day -- tRump can go fuck off Blue Owl Friday #1
I love your taco! SheltieLover Friday #3
Mmmmmm.... tacos! Initech Friday #7
Might have to start thinking about it as KING Taco Day. Buns_of_Fire Friday #20
Who would we have to appeal to in order to make 6/14 National Chicken TACO day? SheltieLover Friday #2
As an alternative the Pope will appear remotely in Chicago Ritabert Friday #4
I'm going to a comedy show that night and also staying the night. Initech Friday #8
Agreed. Ritabert Friday #9
Ill be surprised if there arent some peeps willing to stand in front of the tanks.. Volaris Friday #5
Obviously DENVERPOPS Friday #17
I don't think we'll ever know all the truth. Linda ladeewolf Friday #21
I think the Amnesty article DENVERPOPS Friday #23
Sometimes the gory details are what's needed to give both sides pause. Linda ladeewolf Friday #24
It is the official celebration of our new fascist government. Irish_Dem Friday #6
If praying can do it, it will rain, rain, rain on his parade. nt Jit423 Friday #10
I hope lots of people will join a "No Kings" protest.... Ol Janx Spirit Friday #11
Over 1,200 have already been planned. BigmanPigman Friday #32
Aren't all the generals gone? KentuckyWoman Friday #12
Any mass protests will enable Trump DENVERPOPS Friday #19
So you're rolling over, then. Basso8vb Friday #26
I am not rolling over DENVERPOPS Friday #30
No he won't. BigmanPigman Friday #33
We would all be the top Billionaires DENVERPOPS Friday #35
I'm celebrating Flag Day and Obama Appreciation Day. madinmaryland Friday #13
We? BaronChocula Friday #14
The same man who led a failed coup is back with upwards of 6000 troops, 150 vehicles, and helicopters. Harker Friday #18
HTF did we get here? BaronChocula Friday #22
Same here. Harker Friday #25
All hail Commander Bonespurs AdamGG Friday #15
That's why we'll be seeing barbtries Friday #16
There are tons within 50 miles of me BigmanPigman Friday #34
It's gonna be big. barbtries Friday #36
A lot of people aren't aware of this protest yet BigmanPigman Friday #38
I share it daily on BlueSky barbtries Yesterday #42
I've never gone the social media route BigmanPigman Yesterday #43
Google the date "October 6, 1981". . . DinahMoeHum Friday #27
Shitler isn't 1/10th the man AdamGG Friday #29
Taco Regime EarthAbides Friday #28
Whoa! An intelligent, well-phrased statement from Senator John Kennedy. Paladin Friday #31
I've thought that from the beginning.. just what Judith Levine Cha Friday #37
Go...and take pictures and notes... KTB2025 Friday #39
A few years ago I watched a video of a post-WW-2 Victory Parade ThoughtCriminal Friday #40
This would make a great sign..... IcyPeas Yesterday #41
Maybe it'll be pouring rain all day? Buckeyeblue Yesterday #44
"...the ceremonial birth of fascism." returnee Yesterday #45
Inquiring Minds want to know. Will TACO require the military to "Goose Step" in this parade? Fla Dem Yesterday #46

Initech

(104,994 posts)
8. I'm going to a comedy show that night and also staying the night.
Fri May 30, 2025, 12:10 PM
Friday

I will do anything but watch his bullshit Nazi dictator parade! And I'll tell him where he can go shove it!

Volaris

(10,882 posts)
5. Ill be surprised if there arent some peeps willing to stand in front of the tanks..
Fri May 30, 2025, 12:04 PM
Friday

ala Tienneman Square. At which point, trump and his goon squads, can't NOT overreact.

DENVERPOPS

(12,373 posts)
17. Obviously
Fri May 30, 2025, 02:18 PM
Friday

you don't know what actually happened in Tienneman Square RIGHT AFTER the picture of the guy in front of the tank was taken.............

DENVERPOPS

(12,373 posts)
23. I think the Amnesty article
Fri May 30, 2025, 02:40 PM
Friday

pretty well describes it, but did not describe the gory details of the carnage that was leaked elsewhere. (I can't remember where)

Linda ladeewolf

(907 posts)
24. Sometimes the gory details are what's needed to give both sides pause.
Fri May 30, 2025, 02:43 PM
Friday

Not sure even those would pause the multitude of Miller’s we seem to have in the current regime.

Ol Janx Spirit

(244 posts)
11. I hope lots of people will join a "No Kings" protest....
Fri May 30, 2025, 12:51 PM
Friday
https://www.nokings.org/

Even in my very red part of the country there are six within easy driving distance.

Let's hope there is a lot of coverage to the counter the vanity fascism parade.

BigmanPigman

(53,052 posts)
32. Over 1,200 have already been planned.
Fri May 30, 2025, 05:01 PM
Friday

This will be even bigger that the first Women's March in 2017, the largest mass protest around the world.

I have 2 near me as well. I can't decide which one to attend. My sign has been ready for a week. I made a big jeweled crown with gold glittery paper.

KentuckyWoman

(7,010 posts)
12. Aren't all the generals gone?
Fri May 30, 2025, 12:52 PM
Friday

Maybe I missed something but I believe all the people who told him no last time have either retired or been let go. My impression is that the Pentagon is set up to just do what he says.

DENVERPOPS

(12,373 posts)
19. Any mass protests will enable Trump
Fri May 30, 2025, 02:24 PM
Friday

to use the "Insurrection Act" militarizing the entire Armed Forces against the Citizens of America, establish Marshall Law, and totally ignore the Posse Comatatus Act....................He has already declared the entire Mexico border a "Military Base" under invasion, allowing him to already send THOUSANDS of U.S. Soldiers down there to assist the infamous Trumphumping Border Patrol......

DENVERPOPS

(12,373 posts)
35. We would all be the top Billionaires
Fri May 30, 2025, 07:18 PM
Friday

if we got a buck for every time we said; he can't/won't do this or that these past 8+ years.

I am not giving up hope, but it is going to take something major to stop the progression and then the decades it will take to reverse it all.....

My fondest hope is that Trump, his entire CABAL, The Repubs in the U.S. Senate, The Repubs in the U.S. House, and the Repubs in the USSC, and the Republican Governors, all call for a Military Coup and THE ENTIRE MILITARY pulls a 180 degree military coup ON THEM.........(And all the Trumphumping State and Local sheriff's and Police....)

Along with the Trumphumping members of the National Guard, Reserves, Secret Service, ATF, FBI, DOJ, EPA, Dept Secretaries, etc.......and every Judge at any level appointed by a Republican President in the past 45+ years.......

How does that sound, BP................???????????????????????????????? Sometimes a person only has their dreams.......

Harker

(16,268 posts)
18. The same man who led a failed coup is back with upwards of 6000 troops, 150 vehicles, and helicopters.
Fri May 30, 2025, 02:23 PM
Friday

I don't like it at all.

BaronChocula

(2,775 posts)
22. HTF did we get here?
Fri May 30, 2025, 02:37 PM
Friday

Still scratching my head (kind of because I kind of know on a deeper level, but really...)

Harker

(16,268 posts)
25. Same here.
Fri May 30, 2025, 02:50 PM
Friday

It's been an incremental worsening since Nixon, and every step has always been as bad as I thought it would be..

I'm in the camp that is hoping we don't need to rely on midterm elections.

AdamGG

(1,708 posts)
15. All hail Commander Bonespurs
Fri May 30, 2025, 02:12 PM
Friday

Was there a giant military parade for the 200th anniversary of the US army or the 150th? Of course not because we don't do this.

It would be great to have some planes with banners or skywriting overhead to say what bullshit this is, but they would be shot down for violating military air space.

BigmanPigman

(53,052 posts)
34. There are tons within 50 miles of me
Fri May 30, 2025, 05:05 PM
Friday

There are going to be about 2,000 protests planned by June 14th. People are pissed off!

There are 9 in Europe, too.

BigmanPigman

(53,052 posts)
38. A lot of people aren't aware of this protest yet
Fri May 30, 2025, 09:49 PM
Friday

I'm hoping that word spread quickly. Of course the MSM won't even cover it before the protest and very few will cover the story afterwards. I think Rachel Maddow was one of the few reporters who covered this April 5th, Hands Off protest when 5.2 million people showed up in 1,400 cities. We are on our own!

RESIST!!!!!!

barbtries

(30,449 posts)
42. I share it daily on BlueSky
Sat May 31, 2025, 06:17 AM
Yesterday

and regularly on fb.

that people are unaware tells me that legacy media is not covering it.

yes. April 5, April 19 protests were huge. I was in Raleigh with thousands of people and the local rag's headline was "Hundreds show up to protest in Raleigh"

it is maddening. But we must just keep coming.

BigmanPigman

(53,052 posts)
43. I've never gone the social media route
Sat May 31, 2025, 06:31 AM
Yesterday

and never had fakebook or twitter so the info I get is mostly via reports from Liberals on YouTube and the comments such as Meidas.

DinahMoeHum

(22,943 posts)
27. Google the date "October 6, 1981". . .
Fri May 30, 2025, 03:03 PM
Friday

. . .when another head of state decided to have a parade in honor of himself.

Here's hoping history repeats, or at least rhymes.

EarthAbides

(294 posts)
28. Taco Regime
Fri May 30, 2025, 03:09 PM
Friday

I can't help but feel it will be the official start of the fascist taco regime. We still have two weeks to go and a lot can happen in that time.

Paladin

(30,580 posts)
31. Whoa! An intelligent, well-phrased statement from Senator John Kennedy.
Fri May 30, 2025, 04:09 PM
Friday

I didn't know he was even capable of such a thing---he damn sure wouldn't repeat it, these days.

Here's hoping that TACO Donny's military birthday event is an absolute clusterfuck---something that can be scorned and laughed at, years and years from now.

Cha

(311,303 posts)
37. I've thought that from the beginning.. just what Judith Levine
Fri May 30, 2025, 08:43 PM
Friday

is saying.

Why I'm so Grateful for all the Protests that Individual is Organizing.. they're Not "minimizing", of course.

And, Pope Leo is going to be in Chicago For a Mass Celebration on June 14th!

KTB2025

(13 posts)
39. Go...and take pictures and notes...
Fri May 30, 2025, 10:30 PM
Friday

I'm going to suggest folks go to Trump's parade and not protest, but watch quietly...with a camera and notebook in hand. Because in between the harmless tourists and bored street vendors will be a lot of MAGA, many with their usual accessories of Proud Boys regalia, antisemitic signs, and so forth. Take pictures - like a nonchalant selfie with these individuals in the background. Take notes - write down any names and identifying details you hear the MAGA thugs mention. Then, when the parade is over, run to a laptop and post your intel to the world. Humiliate the actual parade attendees, many of whom pose as normal, reasonable neighbors in their day-to-day lives. Name and shame them with help from the Internet and the details you jotted down. That is how we hold MAGA accountable - no violence, no lawbreaking, but by exposing and identifying the troublemakers so that they are saddled with real consequences: public embarrassment, social rejection, fewer job opportunities, and maybe even...genuine guilt.

ThoughtCriminal

(14,558 posts)
40. A few years ago I watched a video of a post-WW-2 Victory Parade
Fri May 30, 2025, 11:59 PM
Friday

What struck me was the expression of the soldiers who participated.

I may have misread them, but what I saw in the faces was not pride, but fatigue. They had just fought a war and just wanted to get this last duty over with and go home.

IcyPeas

(23,623 posts)
41. This would make a great sign.....
Sat May 31, 2025, 12:29 AM
Yesterday

This grifter never served. None of his spoiled brat sons served. I hope someone releases wasps and locusts and red ants.

But we have to cut medicaid.... because we're all going to die anyway.





Fla Dem

(26,743 posts)
46. Inquiring Minds want to know. Will TACO require the military to "Goose Step" in this parade?
Sat May 31, 2025, 09:52 AM
Yesterday
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