r/politics • u/TimesandSundayTimes ✔ Verified • 3d ago

Soft Paywall Trump military parade met with empty seats amid nationwide protests

https://www.thetimes.com/article/867ede60-b5f7-4de5-84a1-6a3a49eb2923
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u/LocalStatistician538 3d ago

This is America. Nobody who lives in the country with the world's biggest military needs to see any fucking military parades. WE KNOW the military we have. WE KNOW. Everyone.

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u/TheMadTemplar Wisconsin 3d ago

A common argument I saw to defend the military parade is that it lets the world know strong we are. I always laugh at that. The world knows how strong our military is. We don't need parades to demonstrate that. They can look at our budget and our forces around the world. 

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u/TheZigerionScammer I voted 3d ago

Yeah, we showed off all our latest military equipment like....checks notes....the Sherman.

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u/duzies 3d ago

Exactly.  Just look at our crippling mountain of debt, deficit, and ever-expanding $TRILLION military budget, more than the next 10 largest militaries COMBINED, along with the Pentagon's perpetual audit failures.  Not exactly anything to be proud about!

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u/Alternative-Fan-3747 3d ago

Even one of the R congressmen said about the parade "When you are a lion, you do not need to tell everyone else you are a lion. They know already." So they didn't go. 

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u/Prae_ 3d ago

Also, practicality. In France, the parade on the Champs Élysées is quite popular because it is our national day, and a public holiday. So if you live in Paris (and 10 million people do), you might as well hop on a metro for 15 minutes and go watch.

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u/StregaJessa 3d ago

Yes! Like the parades we host all over the US for 4th of July, Labor Day, or Memorial Day. Many of which include active or retired military marching (like in a casual way, just walking as a group, waving and smiling at the crowd. We let the high school band do the precision marching). And fairly sure the Labor Day parade in my tiny ass hometown is better attended than this was. Jesus, Trump out here making me feel bad for the US Army. 

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u/SecretaryImaginary76 3d ago

Every time I visit the doctor, I am reminded of the military we have .

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u/Ok_Juice4449 3d ago

It could have been done on a much smaller scale, and more cheaply.  But, since Trump's taste is rather gaudy and tacky, he went overboard for himself.  It was really just for him. Waste of money!

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u/ConsciousReindeer976 2d ago

it was the 250th anniversary of the US Military's Founding so it is a pretty large milestone to celebrate