by Pa Rock
Citizen Journalist
More than a year ago Donald Trump got to witness France's massive Bastille Day parade, an event which featured a major presence of the French military. Trump, who was still new to all of the frills and fancies of being a world leader, was impressed - mightily impressed - and decided that he needed his own big military parade, something to show off his personal power and muscle to his adoring American fan base as well as to the rest of the planet.
And so Trump made a few late-night phone calls, subtly coerced the military's top brass, and banged out some tweets - and a parade was scheduled to be held in Washington, DC, this Veteran's Day. The initial price tag was a horse-choking $30 million.
Some members of the military did not like the idea, nor did many veteran's groups, nor hardly any politicians of the Democratic stripe - and even a few red-faced Republicans. In fact, a goodly number of ordinary American's were mortified that Donald John Trump, a man who took five deferments during the Vietnam War in order to not have to wear mass-produced and highly un-shiek military uniforms - and rub elbows with young men who had gone to public schools, and many of whom were not even white - that Donald John Trump - a.k.a. Cadet Bone Spurs - would want to have his own massive military parade! The hypocrisy was astounding!
But Vlad in Russia had military parades, damned big ones, and so did Kim in North Korea. If they could stand and watch the tanks roll by, and return smart salutes, then by God Donald could, too!
It was all going to be so very grand, an event to glorify the already glorious Donald Trump.
But yesterday Trump's vanity parade suddenly unravelled. The Pentagon announced that it was postponing the boondoggle for a year. Trump then grabbed his iPhone and tweeted that he was "cancelling" the event. Pentagon cost estimates had tripled from $30 million to $90 million, and Trump raged that the costs were due to the city government of Washington, DC, (a largely black entity), hiking fees and prices of things. Some analysts noted that a big part of the higher costs was the amount that military was having to spend to put jets in the air for strategic cover of the event.
So the parade is either postponed or cancelled, or some combination of the two, but the important point is that it won't be happening this November, on Veteran's Day, a day traditionally set aside to honor those who served. Generalissimo Trump never wore his country's uniform, and he damned well should not be allowed to stand on a platform high above those who do and bask in their forced adoration.
Pa Rock, an actual veteran, salutes whoever was ultimately responsible for letting the air out of Trump's vanity parade. If we have $90 million just laying around let's use it for things that matter like health care and housing and educational opportunities for real veterans, and ending the practice of putting migrant children and families in cages. America is in need of more humanity, not some ridiculous, ego-massaging, tribute to a huff-and-puff tyrant!
Citizen Journalist
More than a year ago Donald Trump got to witness France's massive Bastille Day parade, an event which featured a major presence of the French military. Trump, who was still new to all of the frills and fancies of being a world leader, was impressed - mightily impressed - and decided that he needed his own big military parade, something to show off his personal power and muscle to his adoring American fan base as well as to the rest of the planet.
And so Trump made a few late-night phone calls, subtly coerced the military's top brass, and banged out some tweets - and a parade was scheduled to be held in Washington, DC, this Veteran's Day. The initial price tag was a horse-choking $30 million.
Some members of the military did not like the idea, nor did many veteran's groups, nor hardly any politicians of the Democratic stripe - and even a few red-faced Republicans. In fact, a goodly number of ordinary American's were mortified that Donald John Trump, a man who took five deferments during the Vietnam War in order to not have to wear mass-produced and highly un-shiek military uniforms - and rub elbows with young men who had gone to public schools, and many of whom were not even white - that Donald John Trump - a.k.a. Cadet Bone Spurs - would want to have his own massive military parade! The hypocrisy was astounding!
But Vlad in Russia had military parades, damned big ones, and so did Kim in North Korea. If they could stand and watch the tanks roll by, and return smart salutes, then by God Donald could, too!
It was all going to be so very grand, an event to glorify the already glorious Donald Trump.
But yesterday Trump's vanity parade suddenly unravelled. The Pentagon announced that it was postponing the boondoggle for a year. Trump then grabbed his iPhone and tweeted that he was "cancelling" the event. Pentagon cost estimates had tripled from $30 million to $90 million, and Trump raged that the costs were due to the city government of Washington, DC, (a largely black entity), hiking fees and prices of things. Some analysts noted that a big part of the higher costs was the amount that military was having to spend to put jets in the air for strategic cover of the event.
So the parade is either postponed or cancelled, or some combination of the two, but the important point is that it won't be happening this November, on Veteran's Day, a day traditionally set aside to honor those who served. Generalissimo Trump never wore his country's uniform, and he damned well should not be allowed to stand on a platform high above those who do and bask in their forced adoration.
Pa Rock, an actual veteran, salutes whoever was ultimately responsible for letting the air out of Trump's vanity parade. If we have $90 million just laying around let's use it for things that matter like health care and housing and educational opportunities for real veterans, and ending the practice of putting migrant children and families in cages. America is in need of more humanity, not some ridiculous, ego-massaging, tribute to a huff-and-puff tyrant!
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