The Post's scoop about President Trump's plans for a grand military parade in Washington brings to mind Evelyn Waugh's classic satire about England's upper crust in the early days of World War II, "Put Out More Flags," named after a Chinese proverb:
"A man getting drunk at a farewell party should strike a musical tone, in order to strengthen his spirit . . . and a drunk military man should order gallons and put out more flags in order to increase his military splendor."
I love a parade as much as the next guy (though perhaps not as much as the president), but there are problems with this particular idea, as The Post's Greg Jaffe and Philip Rucker note. Seventy-ton tanks "would chew up Pennsylvania Avenue blacktop," big displays of missile launchers would make us look like North Korea, and the expensive parade would belie the Pentagon's poverty pleas while perhaps also reminding people that the commander in chief sat out Vietnam with bone spurs.
There is a better way.
The obvious purpose of the parade is not to celebrate the troops, as the White House professes, but to celebrate Trump. Hence, his wish to have the parade before the November election (and the military's wish to have it after). Given the real goal, the model that would best suit Trump has much older roots than a May Day or even a Bastille Day parade. What Trump needs is a Roman triumph.
The triumph was a public ceremony, including a parade, to celebrate as a near-deity the emperor or a triumphant general - complete with laurels, thrown flowers, adoring troops, war spoils and vanquished enemies in chains. It is, in short, just the sort of parade Trump would enjoy if done in his honor.
The ritual was originally meant for a returning general who had conquered territory and killed at least 5,000 of the enemy, but it was later changed to honor emperors and members of their families. Trump qualifies as a victorious commander, having vanquished enemies foreign (Islamic State) and domestic (Cryin' Chuck Schumer), and as an emperor, having said that those who don't applaud him commit treason against the state.
First in the Roman triumph procession were the magistrates and members of the Senate; first in the Trump triumph would come Devin Nunes, Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, Tom Cotton and the other magistrates supportive of Trump. Next in the Roman triumph came the spoils of war: gold and silver, treasures, and paintings and carvings showing moments from the conflict. In Trump's triumph, the spoils would include models of Trump hotel and golf properties, the nuclear football, a float with a very large button, and chunks of the border wall, carried by Mexicans.
Next in the Roman triumph, to the crowd's jeers, came the captured prisoners in chains: leaders, soldiers and sometimes family members, to be put on display after the parade or executed. Trump's triumph would feature all his foes, in irons: the "dreamers," NFL players who kneel for the national anthem, women who alleged sexual misconduct by Trump, the fake-news media, Robert Mueller, James Comey, FBI agents, Puerto Ricans, Trump's primary opponents, Hillary Clinton, Steve Bannon.
Next, in a cloud of incense, would come the Roman general, or emperor, in a chariot driven by four horses, holding a laurel branch and scepter and wearing a purple and gold tunic and a painted toga. A slave would hold a golden crown over his head. The emperor's children and courtiers rode alongside his carriage on horseback, followed by the soldiers in togas and laurel crowns, shouting "Io triumphe" - Hail, triumphant - at their leader.
Trump's triumph would use identical trappings, though he might eschew the toga for a more tasteful flight suit. Donald Jr., Eric Trump, Jared Kushner, Stephen Miller and John Kelly would escort him on horseback. Instead of troops shouting "Hail triumphant" at Trump, handling that duty would be Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson and other Fox News personalities.
Toward the end of the Roman triumph procession, two white oxen were sacrificed at the Temple of Jupiter and the prisoners killed. Trump's triumph, by contrast, would pause outside the Trump International Hotel. Though executing his opponents could be problematic, Trump might stand in the middle of Pennsylvania Avenue and shoot somebody, just for symbolism.
Mission accomplished!
There's only one problem with this plan, as I see it. In the Roman triumph, a slave would ride with the general in his chariot and repeatedly whisper into his ear, "Memento mori": Remember, you are mortal.
For our parading president, this could be a dealbreaker.
Interesting calling this post "Trump's Triumph Will..." as Hitler's greatest propaganda achievement was 'Triumph of the Will '(German: Triumph des Willens), a 1935 German propaganda film directed, produced, edited, and co-written by Leni Riefenstahl, Nazi Germany's greatest film made by Hitler's greatest documentor of propaganda!
Gee I wonder if you were this upset with the Greek temple assembled for obama after his election . I doubt it since most of the left worshiped him even though he did not eben come close to deserving it.
Do you ever get tired of repeating bad spin myths?
In September of 2008 ( before he was elected ) the DNC moved an event to Denver's Mile High Stadium which was already set up with Roman/Greek columns for a Britany Spears concert.
Since Sheryl Crow and Stevie Wonder were also to appear with Obama, the concert setting appeared to make sense compared to the original venue's capacity.
North Korea doesn't want Trump getting the jump on them so they held their own parade today. Will P*OTUS be jealous again?
==========================
North Korea threw a choreographed military parade in Pyongyang today, on the eve of the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.
The display of might included hundreds of goose-stepping soldiers in disciplined formation and rows of missiles and tanks to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the country’s military.
KRT via AP
A military parade is held in Pyongyang, North Korea, Feb. 8, 2018, as seen from this image made from video by North Korea's KRT. more +
"As long as the imperialism remains on the earth and as long as the anti-North Korea policy of the United States continues, the mission of our military, which is to protect our country and people and secure peace, can never change," North Korean leader Kim Jong Un , sporting a black coat and black fedora, said from a podium alongside wife Ri Sul-Joo and senior military commanders.
KCTV/AFP/Getty Images
This screen grab taken from North Korea's KCTV, Feb. 8, 2018, shows members of North Korea's military taking part in a parade in Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea. more +
The government had no live broadcast of the parade that started at 10:30 a.m. local time in Kim Il Sung square, instead choosing to air an edited version of the parade later in the afternoon.
KRT via AP
In this image made from video by North Korea's KRT, North Korean troops salute during a parade in Pyongyang, North Korea, Feb. 8, 2018. more +
The video showed a parade that seemed to have been shorter than previous ones, but Seoul welcomed the lower profile event. And some analysts said the North was intentionally trying not to provoke South Korea amid the recent sprit of detente that includes North Korea's participation in the Pyeongchang Olympics starting this week in the South.
KCTV/AFP/Getty Images
This screen grab taken from North Korea's KCTV, Feb. 8, 2018, shows members of North Korea's military taking part in a parade in Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea. more +
But the parade also revealed more disconcerting evidence of North Korea’s progression toward its goal of acquiring a nuclear-tipped ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States.
ABC News counted seven intercontinental ballistic missiles with that kind of range – three Hwasong-14s and four Hwasong-15s – on the footage from today’s parade. U.S. intelligence reportedly believes North Korea has between 20 and 50 nuclear warheads in its inventory.
The obvious purpose of the parade is not to celebrate the troops, as the White House professes, but to celebrate Trump. Hence, his wish to have the parade before the November election (and the military's wish to have it after). Given the real goal, the model that would best suit Trump has much older roots than a May Day or even a Bastille Day parade. What Trump needs is a Roman triumph.
Great analogy. A Roman Triumph. Authoritarian cult leaders love big public displays of their power.
What is this suggestion of a national parade instituted as military pageantry? This is no more than President Trump attempting to persuade the country to indulge his showmanship instincts, for pageants and pageantry. Once held, what comes next? An annual military parade?
I believe that he just wants to show Macron that his is bigger than Macrons.
Unless one has been living under a rock, we all are quite aware that America has had the ability to blow up the planet ten times over since the fifties. No need to put it on display as far as I can see.
If Trump truly would like to honor the military, then take the 20-25 million it would take to put on this nonsensical display and distribute it to the military families.
I believe the motivation for this is rather transparent , and as this and other commentary has suggested. Trump wants to be seen as an authoritarian military leader. He actually has that particular envy of Jong-un, Putin, and all the tin pot dictators who have their rocket launchers and goosestepping troops pass in review before them while they stand smiling on a stage reviewing it all.
I can't wait to see the fun Saturday Night Live has with this.
The left loves parades for sexual deviants and baby killers, but not those who defend our country. It tells us everything we need to know about the left.
Well! I have to admit that photo appears over the top. And, censored! In occurs to me the LGBT community is still coming to grips with being liberated. I can not wait until its mainstream acceptability is complete and the LGBT community can feel comfortable not creating a spectacle! This could take a generation or more to occur, nevertheless.
In the meantime, livefreeordie, you can tolerate outrage for now. At least, the LGBT community is not portraying living scenes of the past abuses, horrors, and deaths it have experienced in a subculture until recently considered sexually disordered.
Note: I hope this comment does not take the discussion away from its 'civil' mooring.
Reminds me of a pool party - it must have been 20 years ago now - it was at the Infectious Disease Shock Trauma Chairman's house - one of the doctors was wearing a speedo. That's something I don't want to see on anyone - especially someone I worked with!
No, it's just a type of murder a leftist court ruled a legal type of murder. No matter how you baby killers attempt to justify it, it's still the purposeful taking of innocent life.
No matter how you baby killers attempt to justify it, it's still the purposeful taking of innocent life.
No, it isn't. If you believe that, follow your beliefs. Most of us don't and it really is NOT YOUR BUSINESS. You don't care about deaths unless it is a few cells inside a woman! You don't care about all the gun deaths. You don't care about collateral war deaths. You don't care about making sure hungry babies and kids are fed and cared for medically. Those are all things you say and do (or don't do). Then there is the problem of trying to make contraception harder and more expensive for women, trying to separate a woman's uterus from the rest of her physiology (special limits on freedom for women, NEVER MEN). Then your religious leaders have taken a liking to Trump and his morality. Fraud, con, misogyny, bigotry, liar....the list goes on. So keep your godawful values to yourself, we do not believe you people and you've lost all moral authority. And find a new damn name, you could care less about others living free.
I know that not all of you Military hating leftists are under the age of 40, but we used to take pride in Military Parades in this country. I would love to see that tradition return
America’s Long History of Military Parades
Regardless of the utility of a military parade, the practice is nothing new in American history. Though it’s been a while since a military parade has been hosted in Washington, D.C., it used to be far more common.
Some of America’s first presidents attended military parades in the nation’s capital for the Fourth of July, including John Adams in 1798 (held in America’s then-capital of Philadelphia) and Thomas Jefferson in 1803 and 1804. Of course, these parades were much smaller than anything that could be expected today.
The largest military parade in American history was in 1865 at the close of the Civil War. To celebrate a Union victory over the Confederacy, President Andrew Johnson and Gen. Ulysses S. Grant presided over the Grand Review of the Armies in Washington, D.C., that included over 200,000 soldiers.
It was an impressive display of perhaps the greatest army ever assembled in the Western Hemisphere. Historian Ronald C. White called it a “never-to-be-forgotten sight” in his biography of Grant.
“ Grant stood near the White House in a reviewing stand, which was festooned with star-studded flags inscribed ‘Shiloh,’ Vicksburg,’ and ‘Wilderness,’ watching his men,” White wrote.
Military parades continued to be thrown during and after World War I and World War II. The practice continued throughout the Cold War.
Even President John F. Kennedy had a parade at his inauguration in 1961 that featured various military hardware, including nuclear warheads.
The military parades came to a halt during the Vietnam War as anti-military attitudes began to rise.
Unlike the case in previous conflicts, there was no national parade to welcome American soldiers home after fighting in Vietnam. Vietnam vets had to wait until 1982 to have one thrown in their honor, a muted affair due to the still lingering anti-military attitudes in the country.
The last military parade in Washington occurred in 1991 at the close of the first Gulf War in Iraq.
Dana Millbank
The Post's scoop about President Trump's plans for a grand military parade in Washington brings to mind Evelyn Waugh's classic satire about England's upper crust in the early days of World War II, "Put Out More Flags," named after a Chinese proverb:
"A man getting drunk at a farewell party should strike a musical tone, in order to strengthen his spirit . . . and a drunk military man should order gallons and put out more flags in order to increase his military splendor."
I love a parade as much as the next guy (though perhaps not as much as the president), but there are problems with this particular idea, as The Post's Greg Jaffe and Philip Rucker note. Seventy-ton tanks "would chew up Pennsylvania Avenue blacktop," big displays of missile launchers would make us look like North Korea, and the expensive parade would belie the Pentagon's poverty pleas while perhaps also reminding people that the commander in chief sat out Vietnam with bone spurs.
There is a better way.
The obvious purpose of the parade is not to celebrate the troops, as the White House professes, but to celebrate Trump. Hence, his wish to have the parade before the November election (and the military's wish to have it after). Given the real goal, the model that would best suit Trump has much older roots than a May Day or even a Bastille Day parade. What Trump needs is a Roman triumph.
The triumph was a public ceremony, including a parade, to celebrate as a near-deity the emperor or a triumphant general - complete with laurels, thrown flowers, adoring troops, war spoils and vanquished enemies in chains. It is, in short, just the sort of parade Trump would enjoy if done in his honor.
The ritual was originally meant for a returning general who had conquered territory and killed at least 5,000 of the enemy, but it was later changed to honor emperors and members of their families. Trump qualifies as a victorious commander, having vanquished enemies foreign (Islamic State) and domestic (Cryin' Chuck Schumer), and as an emperor, having said that those who don't applaud him commit treason against the state.
First in the Roman triumph procession were the magistrates and members of the Senate; first in the Trump triumph would come Devin Nunes, Paul Ryan, Mitch McConnell, Tom Cotton and the other magistrates supportive of Trump. Next in the Roman triumph came the spoils of war: gold and silver, treasures, and paintings and carvings showing moments from the conflict. In Trump's triumph, the spoils would include models of Trump hotel and golf properties, the nuclear football, a float with a very large button, and chunks of the border wall, carried by Mexicans.
Next in the Roman triumph, to the crowd's jeers, came the captured prisoners in chains: leaders, soldiers and sometimes family members, to be put on display after the parade or executed. Trump's triumph would feature all his foes, in irons: the "dreamers," NFL players who kneel for the national anthem, women who alleged sexual misconduct by Trump, the fake-news media, Robert Mueller, James Comey, FBI agents, Puerto Ricans, Trump's primary opponents, Hillary Clinton, Steve Bannon.
Next, in a cloud of incense, would come the Roman general, or emperor, in a chariot driven by four horses, holding a laurel branch and scepter and wearing a purple and gold tunic and a painted toga. A slave would hold a golden crown over his head. The emperor's children and courtiers rode alongside his carriage on horseback, followed by the soldiers in togas and laurel crowns, shouting "Io triumphe" - Hail, triumphant - at their leader.
Trump's triumph would use identical trappings, though he might eschew the toga for a more tasteful flight suit. Donald Jr., Eric Trump, Jared Kushner, Stephen Miller and John Kelly would escort him on horseback. Instead of troops shouting "Hail triumphant" at Trump, handling that duty would be Sean Hannity, Tucker Carlson and other Fox News personalities.
Toward the end of the Roman triumph procession, two white oxen were sacrificed at the Temple of Jupiter and the prisoners killed. Trump's triumph, by contrast, would pause outside the Trump International Hotel. Though executing his opponents could be problematic, Trump might stand in the middle of Pennsylvania Avenue and shoot somebody, just for symbolism.
Mission accomplished!
There's only one problem with this plan, as I see it. In the Roman triumph, a slave would ride with the general in his chariot and repeatedly whisper into his ear, "Memento mori": Remember, you are mortal.
For our parading president, this could be a dealbreaker.
Interesting calling this post "Trump's Triumph Will..." as Hitler's greatest propaganda achievement was 'Triumph of the Will '(German: Triumph des Willens), a 1935 German propaganda film directed, produced, edited, and co-written by Leni Riefenstahl, Nazi Germany's greatest film made by Hitler's greatest documentor of propaganda!
As I said... Interesting!
Gee I wonder if you were this upset with the Greek temple assembled for obama after his election . I doubt it since most of the left worshiped him even though he did not eben come close to deserving it.
Do you ever get tired of repeating bad spin myths?
In September of 2008 ( before he was elected ) the DNC moved an event to Denver's Mile High Stadium which was already set up with Roman/Greek columns for a Britany Spears concert.
Since Sheryl Crow and Stevie Wonder were also to appear with Obama, the concert setting appeared to make sense compared to the original venue's capacity.
No, he never does get tired of it
North Korea doesn't want Trump getting the jump on them so they held their own parade today. Will P*OTUS be jealous again?
==========================
North Korea threw a choreographed military parade in Pyongyang today, on the eve of the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea.
The display of might included hundreds of goose-stepping soldiers in disciplined formation and rows of missiles and tanks to mark the 70th anniversary of the founding of the country’s military.
"As long as the imperialism remains on the earth and as long as the anti-North Korea policy of the United States continues, the mission of our military, which is to protect our country and people and secure peace, can never change," North Korean leader Kim Jong Un , sporting a black coat and black fedora, said from a podium alongside wife Ri Sul-Joo and senior military commanders.
The government had no live broadcast of the parade that started at 10:30 a.m. local time in Kim Il Sung square, instead choosing to air an edited version of the parade later in the afternoon.
The video showed a parade that seemed to have been shorter than previous ones, but Seoul welcomed the lower profile event. And some analysts said the North was intentionally trying not to provoke South Korea amid the recent sprit of detente that includes North Korea's participation in the Pyeongchang Olympics starting this week in the South.
But the parade also revealed more disconcerting evidence of North Korea’s progression toward its goal of acquiring a nuclear-tipped ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States.
ABC News counted seven intercontinental ballistic missiles with that kind of range – three Hwasong-14s and four Hwasong-15s – on the footage from today’s parade. U.S. intelligence reportedly believes North Korea has between 20 and 50 nuclear warheads in its inventory.
Great analogy. A Roman Triumph. Authoritarian cult leaders love big public displays of their power.
Comment removed for CoC violation [ph]
Skirting the CoC [ph]
I have no problem with our politicians taking up the way of the Romans.
When do they start falling on their swords?
lol, good one.
"Et tu, Brute?"
What is this suggestion of a national parade instituted as military pageantry? This is no more than President Trump attempting to persuade the country to indulge his showmanship instincts, for pageants and pageantry. Once held, what comes next? An annual military parade?
I believe that he just wants to show Macron that his is bigger than Macrons.
Unless one has been living under a rock, we all are quite aware that America has had the ability to blow up the planet ten times over since the fifties. No need to put it on display as far as I can see.
If Trump truly would like to honor the military, then take the 20-25 million it would take to put on this nonsensical display and distribute it to the military families.
I believe the motivation for this is rather transparent , and as this and other commentary has suggested. Trump wants to be seen as an authoritarian military leader. He actually has that particular envy of Jong-un, Putin, and all the tin pot dictators who have their rocket launchers and goosestepping troops pass in review before them while they stand smiling on a stage reviewing it all.
I can't wait to see the fun Saturday Night Live has with this.
I am informed that he has ordered that you stand next to him throughout the entire procession, holding his helmet in your hand.
I understand it's no big thing.
That's going to be hard to do, Macrons hands are bigger.
Perhaps he holds it as he does a water bottle, both hands on.
He would demand that the families clap for him first.
The left loves parades for sexual deviants and baby killers, but not those who defend our country. It tells us everything we need to know about the left.
Trump in parade
Help me understand: Does the state fund "parades for sexual deviants and baby killers"? Our God is so much bigger than base politics!
I am unaware of any Deviant or Baby Killer Day that would merit a parade. Are there floats?
Shucks, no heels?
Where are you in the parade?
I don't get it
still not getting it
Now that was funny.
Live Free or Die?
Is not choice a by product of freedom? Can't have it both ways.
I'm not gay or a lesbian - not that there's anything wrong with that.
Well! I have to admit that photo appears over the top. And, censored! In occurs to me the LGBT community is still coming to grips with being liberated. I can not wait until its mainstream acceptability is complete and the LGBT community can feel comfortable not creating a spectacle! This could take a generation or more to occur, nevertheless.
In the meantime, livefreeordie, you can tolerate outrage for now. At least, the LGBT community is not portraying living scenes of the past abuses, horrors, and deaths it have experienced in a subculture until recently considered sexually disordered.
Note: I hope this comment does not take the discussion away from its 'civil' mooring.
Of course it did - that's exactly what you were implying. It was a gay pride parade and you said he was riding on my float.
Live free or die - sporting a banana hammock?
That doesn't look good on anyone...I don't care if you're the Playgirl centerfold of the year
Reminds me of a pool party - it must have been 20 years ago now - it was at the Infectious Disease Shock Trauma Chairman's house - one of the doctors was wearing a speedo. That's something I don't want to see on anyone - especially someone I worked with!
Why not try it?
Try what?
Certainly murder is a choice, just not a good one.
It was his house and I don't think he took any infectious diseases home with him.
I wouldn't get in the hot tub though.
No one is being murdered. It's legal. Don't get one. Problem solved.
No, it's just a type of murder a leftist court ruled a legal type of murder. No matter how you baby killers attempt to justify it, it's still the purposeful taking of innocent life.
No, it isn't. If you believe that, follow your beliefs. Most of us don't and it really is NOT YOUR BUSINESS. You don't care about deaths unless it is a few cells inside a woman! You don't care about all the gun deaths. You don't care about collateral war deaths. You don't care about making sure hungry babies and kids are fed and cared for medically. Those are all things you say and do (or don't do). Then there is the problem of trying to make contraception harder and more expensive for women, trying to separate a woman's uterus from the rest of her physiology (special limits on freedom for women, NEVER MEN). Then your religious leaders have taken a liking to Trump and his morality. Fraud, con, misogyny, bigotry, liar....the list goes on. So keep your godawful values to yourself, we do not believe you people and you've lost all moral authority. And find a new damn name, you could care less about others living free.
Kudos, John Russell. I love this article "presentation" audio-model. Well done.
Thank you. I guess it is a little unique.
I am giving you my first of the year,
2018 Thinking Out of The Box Award
Well done!! A two-minute applause, please.
I would be remiss if I did not mention our Host and Chairwoman who aids us in our creative endeavors:
Perrie Halpern!
2018 GOOD AS GOLD AWARD
Well done!! A two-minute round of applause, please.
I like the audio feature, so thanks Perrie.
I'm happy when everyone else is happy!
I know that not all of you Military hating leftists are under the age of 40, but we used to take pride in Military Parades in this country. I would love to see that tradition return
America’s Long History of Military Parades
Regardless of the utility of a military parade, the practice is nothing new in American history. Though it’s been a while since a military parade has been hosted in Washington, D.C., it used to be far more common.
Some of America’s first presidents attended military parades in the nation’s capital for the Fourth of July, including John Adams in 1798 (held in America’s then-capital of Philadelphia) and Thomas Jefferson in 1803 and 1804. Of course, these parades were much smaller than anything that could be expected today.
The largest military parade in American history was in 1865 at the close of the Civil War. To celebrate a Union victory over the Confederacy, President Andrew Johnson and Gen. Ulysses S. Grant presided over the Grand Review of the Armies in Washington, D.C., that included over 200,000 soldiers.
It was an impressive display of perhaps the greatest army ever assembled in the Western Hemisphere. Historian Ronald C. White called it a “never-to-be-forgotten sight” in his biography of Grant.
“ Grant stood near the White House in a reviewing stand, which was festooned with star-studded flags inscribed ‘Shiloh,’ Vicksburg,’ and ‘Wilderness,’ watching his men,” White wrote.
Military parades continued to be thrown during and after World War I and World War II. The practice continued throughout the Cold War.
In 1953, a military parade featuring tanks and an atomic cannon was held for President Dwight Eisenhower’s inauguration , a performance repeated in 1957.
Even President John F. Kennedy had a parade at his inauguration in 1961 that featured various military hardware, including nuclear warheads.
The military parades came to a halt during the Vietnam War as anti-military attitudes began to rise.
Unlike the case in previous conflicts, there was no national parade to welcome American soldiers home after fighting in Vietnam. Vietnam vets had to wait until 1982 to have one thrown in their honor, a muted affair due to the still lingering anti-military attitudes in the country.
The last military parade in Washington occurred in 1991 at the close of the first Gulf War in Iraq.