What Would Happen If The Pentagon Refused Trump's Request For A Parade?.....

[global1]

What would happen to anyone that would refuse to do the crazy things Trump demands?

Why doesn't anyone stand up to this guy?

[DrDan]

1. they won't - he is CIC and they follow orders

There is a place to stand-up, and places where not to. This is a parade. Yes - it will cost quite a bit - but it does not rise to the point of risking a career by saying you will not participate in a parade.

[global1]

4. I Understand He's The CIC But I'm Asking A What If Question Here.....

What if they refused to give him this parade? What would be their consequences?

Also - there is a great cost associated with doing this - Does Congress have to approve such an expenditure? Where would this money come from? Whose budget would it impact?

If Trump wants such a parade - it should come from his own personal money.

Again - why don't people stand up to this guy? He's like the little kid that demands a toy from his parents when they are shopping - throwing a tantrum.

[C_U_L8R]

7. Some Generals love the grandstand as much as Trump.

But others, like us, will find the whole idea abhorrent and unAmerican

[brooklynite]

24. Answer: they would be court-martialled for refusing a legitimate order

As they should be.

[meow2u3]

10. AFAIK, those Soviet-style ego parades are illegal

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100210198209

[DrDan]

12. That is really a stretch - no one would support that claim

[onenote]

2. What makes you think the top brass wouldn't want the parade?

[A HERETIC I AM]

5. Because its un-American....

And the US military has no tradition of doing such things

[DrDan]

9. a military parade is unAmerican?

I am certainly not in favor of it due to it's cost and optics . . . but un-American?

Are Vet Day parades un-American?

[A HERETIC I AM]

11. What he wants is something that has never happened to my knowledge

And what he apparently wants is something like this;






I just don't think that is the kind of thing we do in this country. I can not recall ever seeing tanks on the street in a parade in the United States. The American Eagle has the olive branch in his right foot and the "arrows at the ready" in his left. We don't need to do this. He wants it for vanity and nothing else.



So yes, it's un-American.

[DrDan]

15. no tanks on a street in the US . . . . hmmmmmm

https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/114295

http://www.alamy.com/stock-photo-emporia-kansas-usa-11th-november-2015-veterans-day-parade-in-emporia-89831845.html?pv=1&stamp=2&imageid=F9907F75-8009-435D-AAD6-97309D1FC2FC&p=255409&n=0&orientation=0&pn=1&searchtype=0&IsFromSearch=1&srch=foo%3dbar%26st%3d0%26pn%3d1%26ps%3d100%26sortby%3d2%26resultview%3dsortbyPopular%26npgs%3d0%26qt%3dtank%2520in%2520veterans%2520day%2520parade%26qt_raw%3dtank%2520in%2520veterans%2520day%2520parade%26lic%3d3%26mr%3d0%26pr%3d0%26ot%3d0%26creative%3d%26ag%3d0%26hc%3d0%26pc%3d%26blackwhite%3d%26cutout%3d%26tbar%3d1%26et%3d0x000000000000000000000%26vp%3d0%26loc%3d0%26imgt%3d0%26dtfr%3d%26dtto%3d%26size%3d0xFF%26archive%3d1%26groupid%3d%26pseudoid%3d%26a%3d%26cdid%3d%26cdsrt%3d%26name%3d%26qn%3d%26apalib%3d0%26apalic%3d%26lightbox%3d%26gname%3d%26gtype%3d%26xstx%3d0%26simid%3d%26saveQry%3d%26editorial%3d1%26nu%3d%26t%3d%26edoptin%3d%26customgeoip%3d%26cap%3d1%26cbstore%3d1%26vd%3d0%26lb%3d%26fi%3d2%26edrf%3d%26ispremium%3d1

[A HERETIC I AM]

18. OK...fine. Emporia, Kansas. Pop. 24, 816. Not exactly the hub of the US government

And based on what I see at the link you provided, there was one tank in that parade. ONE. It was and apparently is an annual veterans parade, not a fucking military review.

If you actually think we have a tradition of military parades like the Bastille Day parade in the pics I put up above, then we are living in two different countries.

If you think this idea is a good one - acquiescing to Trump wanting to be lauded like a tin-pot dictator, then we are on opposite sides of this question, to be sure.

[DrDan]

22. I NEVER said I thought it was a good idea - but I am quite confident it is not

illegal and no one in control of their faculties would call it un-American.

[A HERETIC I AM]

25. LOL! So I'm not in control of my faculties?

Look, Dr. In this country there never has been and never should be a tradition of massive military parades LIKE THIS PRESIDENT WANTS, OK? Blatant displays of military might are NOT what happens here. Other countries, sure, but not in the USA.

A giant dick wagging festival put on merely to appease the Orangutan-in-Chief is un-American. He is not a fucking dictator or a king or a despot, regardless of how much he may fantasize being one, and acquiescing to his demands for this utter bullshit is wrong.

[DrDan]

26. Don't disagree with anything that you have said . . . but, while not a tradition,

we have had military parades . . . . with tanks. So this is not a first-time event.

[A HERETIC I AM]

30. .....

You win!

[DrDan]

36. That was really a crappy thing to say - I apologize

[A HERETIC I AM]

41. I got over it.

People have alerted on me and I've had posts hidden for much less.

I'm not that thin skinned.

[DrDan]

17. then there is this . . .

CBS News correspondent Eric Engberg covered the June 8, 1991 national parade. He described the "overall mood" as "celebratory and upbeat." But he said there was "so much military hardware moving, at times it seemed as if Washington was under attack."

Eight thousand Desert Storm troops marched in the national parade, 200,000 people watched the parade, Engberg reports. According to The Washington Post, it cost $8 million.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-cbs-news-reported-the-last-national-military-parade-in-1991/

and yes . . . there were tanks in that parade - just saw a clip of it on MSNBC

[A HERETIC I AM]

20. OK, again,, fine. One other parade 27 years ago!

Yeah. That makes a tradition.

[DrDan]

23. ok - so lets move those goalposts

[TeamPooka]

37. And it was celebrating our victory in a war to boot

[onenote]

39. Just because you don't recall something doesn't mean it hasn't happened

Do I think Trump's parade idea is a good one? No.

Have there been a number of military parades in DC over the years, including parades with tanks? Yes.

Do I think the presidents who presided over those parades were un-American? No.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/07/us/american-military-parades/index.html

[A HERETIC I AM]

40. Alright, I stand corrected.

And I'm man enough to say it.

You and DrDan are correct that there have been military parades with heavy equipment in the US in the past.

However, I did repeatedly say we had no "tradition" of doing this sort of thing, and by that, just to be clear, I was referring to the annual Bastille Day style showing in France or even the parades in Red Square or Pyongyang we have all seen footage of.

It just seems to me that THIS president, a man who never served in the military, wants to have such a parade MERELY OUT OF HIS OWN SENSE OF VANITY AND SELF IMPORTANCE. There is no war victory to celebrate (It isn't late 1945 or 1991), nor was he a bona fide hero (JFK) or a former major commander of an allied armed forces (Eisenhower).

This whole idea, as it is coming from Trump himself, is nothing more than a way for him to feel like a big shot and amounts to a giant dick wagging on his part.

I find THAT idea appalling, disgusting and yes, frankly un-American.

But you're right, there is a certain amount of historical precedent, regardless of how distant.

[Ferrets are Cool]

29. Standing for the anthem didnt used to be a requirement

for NFL players, but now its treasonous not to do so. This is THE new Murica.

somewhat

[LanternWaste]

13. On what objective measure do you predicate that military parades are American?

On what objective measure do you predicate that military parades are American?

[DrDan]

14. common sense

[Eliot Rosewater]

27. It is the epitome of un-American given the reason for it and who is calling for it.

Orders are orders, personnel will do what they are ordered to do, but the parade could not be more un-American given the circumstances.

[Angleae]

38. Because it will cost several million dollars.

And they have no idea where the money is going to come from.

[spanone]

3. trump & the military appear to be in lockstep..and he knows more than the generals

[Eliot Rosewater]

28. LOL, yeah he knows more, great callback.

This is the fucking REASON there should be NO generals or admirals in the administration, for one

and if you leave it up to most higher ups in any military, they are gonna do stuff we will NOT like...always!

You could argue that is their job, do shit we dont want to do but you
NEVER give them this level of power.

[mythology]

34. Clearly military service should have disqualified Kennedy and Eisenhower

Absolutism is generally pretty silly. You do realize that pretty much every administration includes military members right?

Leon Panetta, Robert Gates, John Kerry, Chuck Hagel in the Obama administration for example.

[HopeAgain]

6. This is the problem with ex generals in the administration.

The civilian leadership is needed to stand up to the President and tell him that it is a stupid fucking idea. Military are trained not to think, and judging from Kelly, some never could think.

[MichMary]

8. This is about "strategery"

Ever hear, "Which hill do you want to die on?" Basically, this is not a big enough deal to disobey orders. Save that for when he decides to nuke North Korea, or Norway.

As for consequences, yes, there are consequences for disobeying a legal order by the Commander in Chief. Possibly loss in rank. Maybe worse.

[hexola]

16. We just spent 20 years making sure some idiot couldn't drive a tank down Penn Ave...!

Feel free to use that one!

[UTUSN]

19. How about a congressional resolution stopping it. How about a CENSURE.

[Capperdan]

31. Something Please!

I hope the counter parades are getting organized.

[tanyev]

21. A 71 year old rolling on the floor, kicking and screaming, holding his breath until he turns blue?

I just hope someone gets a video.

[yallerdawg]

32. What would happen?

Same old thing:

[matt819]

33. Some observations

Frankly, I can’t see the military pulling this off. We’re talking thousands of troops and hundreds of pieces of military equipment, all pulled away from existing duties. If he’s thinking about holding this clusterfuck on city streets, I can’t see that happening.The roadways can’t handle it.

Also, and quite rightly, we do not have a tradition of this kind of display. Other countries do, including some democracies. And that’s fine. But since we don’t, the odds are good ours would look silly compared to those in other countries, adding to the growing buffoonification of America.

The cost of this idiocy would likely run into the scores of millions. Let’s hope cooler heads prevail.

[DrDan]

35. it happened in '91 - 8000 troops - military HW

We do not have a tradition of doing this - correct. And for good reason. But not because the military can't pull it off. The optics are not what we wanted to portray in the past. Things have changed.