'Tanks but no tanks!' say critics of Trump's plan for military parade

By Idrees Ali

 

U.S. Army Reserve colour guard soldiers carry the colours on Fifth Avenue during the annual New York City Veterans Day Parade in New York, NY, U.S., November 11, 2017. Picture taken November 11, 2017. Hector Rene Membreno-Canales/U.S. Army/Handout via REUTERS

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's dream of a grand military parade through the streets of the U.S. capital attracted scorn, skepticism and even a dash of wit from local officials on Wednesday.

 

Critics argued a parade could cost millions of dollars, at a time the Pentagon wants more stable funding for an overstretched military.

 

"A military parade in D.C. would shut down the nation's capital and waste taxpayer dollars just to feed Trump's ego," said Eleanor Holmes Norton, a non-voting delegate to the U.S. Congress for the District of Columbia, a Democratic stronghold.

 

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, a prominent Republican voice on defence matters, said he favoured highlighting the country's armed forces but not its weaponry.

 

"I think a parade showcasing the military and the sacrifices they make for the country would be appropriate, it would be a way to say thank you, but I’m not interested in a military hardware display. That would be cheesy and project weakness," Graham told reporters on Wednesday.

 

The White House said on Tuesday it had asked the Pentagon to explore a celebration of "America's great service members," after the Republican president marvelled at the Bastille Day military parade he attended in Paris last year.

 

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis - who argued to lawmakers on Tuesday that a budgetary impasse was eroding U.S. advantages over adversaries and could lead to aircraft being grounded - said the Pentagon was putting together options that would be sent to the White House.

 

"I think we're all aware in this country of the president's affection and respect for the military," Mattis told reporters, while declining to address the costs of the parade.

 

One option under consideration is for a parade on Nov. 11 - which would be the 100th anniversary of the end of World War One.

 

GENERALLY RARE

 

Military parades in the United States are generally rare. Such parades in other countries are usually staged to celebrate victories in battle or showcase military might.

 

In 1991, tanks and thousands of troops paraded through Washington to celebrate the ousting of Saddam Hussein's Iraqi forces from Kuwait in the Gulf War.

 

That parade cost $12 million, according to a report at the time. While the Pentagon does not yet have a cost estimate for how much another parade may cost, it is likely to be in the millions of dollars. U.S. officials say it would also be a logistical challenge to bring thousands of troops, tanks and aircraft to Washington.

 

The District of Columbia Council ridiculed the idea of a parade on Pennsylvania Avenue, the 1.2-mile (1.9-km) stretch between the Capitol and the White House that is also the site of the Trump International Hotel.

 

“Tanks but no tanks!” it tweeted.

 

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser's spokeswoman said the District had no formal request for a parade but "just like the wall, he will have to pay for it,” a reference to Trump's plan to build a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border and have Mexico pay for it. The Mexican government has insisted it will not do so.

 

Trump publicly expressed his interest in an American military display after watching the Paris parade.

 

The July 14 military parade has been seen as an opportunity for France’s armed forces to present themselves to the French people. The parade included 63 planes and nearly 4,000 troops.

 

The cost ranged between $4.3 million (3.5 million euros) to $4.9 million (4 million euros), which comes out of the French defence budget.

 

(Additional reporting by Phil Stewart, Ian Simpson and Amanda Becker in Washington and John Irish in Paris; Editing by Mary Milliken and Peter Cooney)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-02-08

Doesn't matter what Trump does, the antis will use it to beat him with.

However, when congress can't even pass a proper budget, it's probably not a good idea at the moment.

1 minute ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Doesn't matter what Trump does, the antis will use it to beat him with.

However, when congress can't even pass a proper budget, it's probably not a good idea at the moment.

Yes, if he wants to copy France's military model, let him do so. Right?

A foreign language post has been removed.  

"the Pentagon wants more stable funding for an overstretched military."

 

EVERY time I see a reference to U.S. military spending like this (and there are MANY of them!) I just wanna SCREAM!!!

2 minutes ago, quandow said:

"the Pentagon wants more stable funding for an overstretched military."

 

EVERY time I see a reference to U.S. military spending like this (and there are MANY of them!) I just wanna SCREAM!!!

I have no idea from your post as to WHY you want to scream, but if it's because the US is stretched too far protecting the ungrateful, I'd agree.

Easily solved though. Just withdraw the US military from countries like Korea and Japan and let them protect themselves against China.

Unless the other countries in NATO agree to stump up more of the readies, the US should pull out of that as well and leave them to handle Russia on their own. Interesting that Germany isn't on that list.

2 hours ago, Ruffian Dick said:

Yes, if he wants to copy France's military model, let him do so. Right?

Want's to copy Kim Jong Un, I reckon.

2 hours ago, webfact said:

The cost ranged between $4.3 million (3.5 million euros) to $4.9 million (4 million euros), which comes out of the French defence budget.

 

 

2 hours ago, webfact said:

That parade cost $12 million, according to a report at the time. While the Pentagon does not yet have a cost estimate for how much another parade may cost, it is likely to be in the millions of dollars. U.S. officials say it would also be a logistical challenge to bring thousands of troops, tanks and aircraft to Washington.

 

I am sure Donald will want to beat out previous costs for the parade. But even at a cost of $12 million, I wonder how many additional pieces of body armor we could be giving soldiers instead of putting tanks on the streets? It seems like a complete waste of defense budget funds to me. But hey, having all those soldiers turn, face and salute Donald will certainly stroke his ego to the point of orgasm. And what could be more important than that?

 

Ah, Shepard Smith, the only reason to ever watch Fox News.

 

Shep Smith: Give Trump 'little mini replicas' of tanks instead of parade

http://thehill.com/homenews/media/372831-shep-smith-give-trump-little-mini-replicas-of-tanks-instead-of-hosting-parade

 

 

Edited February 8, 20188 yr by Silurian

Every comment I've heard, on various news channels, is pooping on Trump's plan to have a military parade.   Some of the reasons:

>>>  it will cost tens of millions of dollars, which could be better spent on, let's say, veterans' health care/benefits.

>>>  The roads in downtown DC won't be able to handle very heavy vehicles.  No problem, in Trump's views, in rebuilding downtown roads in D.C.  Trump will grin and say he's created more jobs.  Plus Trump has never had problems spending other peoples' money (from German banks, taxpayers, Russian oligarchs, campaign funds, or whomever).

>>>   It will look like N.Korea's or USSR/Russia's military parades.

>>>   The route will go by Trump's properties - great publicity.  

 

All commentators, including some top US military brass, agree it's a stupid idea.  I venture that only Fox news commentators think it's good, but they'd think it's good if Trump smeared his own shit on the Oval Office desk ('when it's buffed, it shines it up real good!').

 

 

 

41 minutes ago, Aj Mick said:

Want's to copy Kim Jong Un, I reckon.

.....and wants to show the world he has a bigger red button than Kim.

57 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

I have no idea from your post as to WHY you want to scream, but if it's because the US is stretched too far protecting the ungrateful, I'd agree.

Easily solved though. Just withdraw the US military from countries like Korea and Japan and let them protect themselves against China.

Unless the other countries in NATO agree to stump up more of the readies, the US should pull out of that as well and leave them to handle Russia on their own. Interesting that Germany isn't on that list.

Posts like this put a smile on the face of the Russians and Chinese. Well done!

Hey, it's not like the US government doesn't have money to burn. If Donald wants a parade, let him have it.

 

[sarcasm alert]

 

 

Oooooh...just cut some more money from social -services (if there are any left, to cut from) and finance the man- baby's wet dream!

4 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Doesn't matter what Trump does, the antis will use it to beat him with.

However, when congress can't even pass a proper budget, it's probably not a good idea at the moment.

When would it be a good idea?

1 hour ago, ilostmypassword said:

When would it be a good idea?

 Impeachment Day 

4 hours ago, quandow said:

"the Pentagon wants more stable funding for an overstretched military."

 

EVERY time I see a reference to U.S. military spending like this (and there are MANY of them!) I just wanna SCREAM!!!

Agree with you absolutely and thanks for providing the details

The only parade I want to see is the Trump family perp walk into the courtroom.

If it goes ahead on Trump's watch, no doubt it will be the greatest military parade in the history of mankind.

4 hours ago, boomerangutang said:

.....and wants to show the world he has a bigger red button than Kim.

I know buttons.  I have the best buttons.  I have the biggliest buttons.

 

 

4 hours ago, Becker said:

Posts like this put a smile on the face of the Russians and Chinese. Well done!

Soooooo, you are happy for the US taxpayer to defend Japan, Korea and the EU because they don't want to pay to do the job themselves.

 

3 hours ago, ilostmypassword said:

When would it be a good idea?

Err, after they pass a budget!

Didn't Trump already have his parade....

 

 

(Courtesy of "Grudge" on Twitter.)

6 hours ago, boomerangutang said:

.....and wants to show the world he has a bigger red button than Kim.

and a smaller orange dick!

 

This is just typical Trump.  It won't happen but if it did it would be the biggest, most fabulous, beautiful military parade in the history of all military parades.

2 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Soooooo, you are happy for the US taxpayer to defend Japan, Korea and the EU because they don't want to pay to do the job themselves.

 

Yes!

23 hours ago, boomerangutang said:

.....and wants to show the world he has a bigger red button than Kim.

Probably so, but does The Donald have bigger hands?

It would seem that just about every senior military flag officer is against this parade idea.  But only the retired officers can say anything as active duty officers are prohibited by law to speak out against the CnC.

 

[“Donald Trump has continually shown himself to have authoritarian tendencies and this is just another worrisome example,” said Retired Major General Paul Eaton, a Senior Adviser VoteVets, a progressive political organization devoted to electing veterans to office. “For someone who just declared that it was ‘treasonous’ to not applaud him, and for someone who has, in the past, admired the tactics of everyone from Saddam Hussein to Vladimir Putin, it is clear that a military parade isn’t about saluting the military — it is about making a display of the military saluting him.”]

 

http://time.com/5137317/donald-trump-military-parade-officers/?xid=homepage

 

 

On 08/02/2018 at 2:01 AM, webfact said:

I’m not interested in a military hardware display. That would be cheesy and project weakness," Graham told reporters on Wednesday.

Trump described to perfection. 

21 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Err, after they pass a budget!

They’ve just failed to do that. 

 

Second shutdown predicted. 

 

Hail the great negotiator...

 

I’ve a feeling this whole parade idea will be dropped now, as trump goes ballistic on twitter, in an attempt to blame everyone and everything but his intransigence for the shutdown. 

Edited February 9, 20188 yr by Bluespunk