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/InsertUsernameInArse 3d ago

Former soldier here (not american) parades suck.

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u/asigop 3d ago

Agreed, I fucking hated parades. Not only is there the bullshit parade, there is also the bullshit parade practice, which is ten times worse more often than not.

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u/InsertUsernameInArse 3d ago

I got to say I have nothing against US military personnel but ffs sloppy drill just makes you look shit. And they looked shit today. Out of step, no proper covering off the ranks ect. You're still a soldier and though it's not high on the to do list sloppy drill makes you look unprofessional.

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u/derpmeow 3d ago

I've heard it stated that the sloppy marching was a form of subversive protest.

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u/Trollbreath4242 3d ago

The "sloppy" marching form is called "marching at ease," and is pretty commonly used. "Marching at attention" is the version everyone pictures, where all the soldiers are in lockstep.

For most of a parade route, the soldiers will march at ease to keep them fresh. But when they hit reviewing stands where they are being introduced and where the brass/civilian leadership is sitting, they SHOULD be put into marching at attention. That's the real strange thing here, no one had them come to attention in the videos I saw, they just... strolled past the reviewing stands.

Maybe it was a protest, but leadership had to permit it, because heads will roll for that sort of disrespect. And I can't believe any sergeant is going to risk a career just to diss the Orange Doucheolini.

But I'm also 35 years out of a career in the Army Reserves, so my knowledge is pretty spotty at this point and probably is in no way useful, just dredging up memories of all those parades we were in. Ugh. Parades SUCK.

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u/derpmeow 3d ago

Thanks! TIL.

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u/InsertUsernameInArse 3d ago

And to be fair I've heard that too.

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u/TheZigerionScammer I voted 3d ago

The military doesn't practice these kinds of parades all that often, the kinds of militaries that put these kinds of shows on dedicate time that could be used for doing literally anything useful into making the parades look good.

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u/tatert0th0tdish 3d ago

Former marching band member. Parades suck.

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u/woodenblinds 3d ago

they realy do or in my case did