CNN: Pentagon May Solicit Donations For Trump's Military Parade

[DonViejo]

Source: Talking Points Memo




By Nicole Lafond | February 19, 2018 12:01 pm

The Pentagon is considering soliciting donations to fund the President’s requested military parade, which could cost between $3 million and $50 million, according to preliminary estimates from a defense official who spoke with CNN.

Because there is currently no money set aside for a parade in the military budget, the Pentagon would likely use those private donations to offset the cost of the non-military components of the event, according to CNN. Budget director Mick Mulvaney said Wednesday that he estimates the parade could cost between $10 million to $30 million.

Defense officials are also concerned about the lack of available troops to attend a parade, CNN reported. A large-scale parade would require weeks of planning and the transportation of equipment, like tanks, to Washington, D.C. days ahead of time in order to prepare, according to the official who spoke with CNN.

The Army has prepared five different parade options for President Trump to consider: “small, medium, heavy, hybrid and a multimedia display,” according to CNN.


Read more: https://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/cnn-pentagon-weighing-soliciting-donations-military-parade

[kimbutgar]

1. Why dont they just ask Russia for the money?

[dalton99a]

19. Bingo.

[RKP5637]

31. Trump, could ask Russia to bring their artillery and all here and do a parade with

their troops and equipment. Then Trump could spout his deal to give the US to Russia, think of the cost savings for the parade.

[kimbutgar]

36. +1

I bet the Twitler supporters would be ok with that in this environment!

[workinclasszero]

51. Hellz yeah and bring over all the Russian weapons and military for Shitler's parade

Then they can just takeover the country as long as they are here, Trump's job is done!

[Turbineguy]

2. I wouldn't even donate

Thoughts and Prayers.

[Va Lefty]

3. I'm sure Lockheed Martin and Boeing would be willing to ante up

[FarPoint]

4. Where did all that money go for his Inauguration?

I understand there should be a huge pile of cash there.

[DURHAM D]

10. It was given to Melania's friend. nt

[FarPoint]

26. Ihhhj

Putin....

[Iliyah]

5. Facebook, Twitter, Kochs',

and the usual suspects with tons of money.

What a horrid ideal. t-rump bought again.

[ProfessorGAC]

6. Or, They Could Just Not Do It?

Since the vast majority of MILITARY people think this is a stupid idea, perhaps the easiest way to avoid the costs would be to NOT DO IT!! Sheesh, there are some stupid people at the Pentagon.

[Lindsay]

7. "Just following orders"

of the stupid guy in the oval office.

[ProfessorGAC]

46. How'd That Work Out In Nuremberg?

Just sayin'

[sarge43]

61. FWIW, the Pentagon isn't being stupid.

No one there wants this. Sooo...release an embarrassing statement and make Moron look stupid and selfish for demanding that critical funding be diverted for his dick wave. Get the media and the tax payers on your side and with luck and a few other tricks, order will wind up composting in a file cabinet in the basement.

Yes, the vast majority of service personnel apparently think this is major suckage; however, unless things have changed a 180 since I was manning the paper pump, no one gets a vote on any superior's decision. One can argue against it (sometimes) or try to find a way around it (see above), but in the end at minimum one goes through the motions. Otherwise, at best a career killer report card and a ticket to a hell hole assignment. At worst, thrown out with a really bad report card. In short, the military isn't a democracy.

[ProfessorGAC]

67. Hope You're Right, Sarge

Still think it's easier to just let the moron forget about it!

[sarge43]

68. I believe that's what the Five Sided Circus is working toward.

Last edited Mon Feb 19, 2018, 07:41 PM - Edit history (1)

Adroit marching in place - look busy, never get anywhere. The Transgender fiasco is the most recent case in point. Stall enough and he moves on to some other ridiculous idea that'll be someone else headache.

[ProfessorGAC]

72. IOW

Fuck that moron? Am I properly interpreting your sentiment?

[sarge43]

73. If you mean figuratively, hell yes.

Otherwise

Parades are acceptable when they honor a specific, deserving event or individual. I've seen retiring old war horses with more bling than Patton break into tears when the troops passed in review and popped the salute. Then it means something to all involved.

Quick march pole dancing for a poser and poltroon like Moron is an insult.

[Yonnie3]

8. A couple of questions about those donations,.

Will 'Rump be allowed to know who gave? Bribes?
Will foreign entities (or their agents) be allowed to contribute?

[Farmer-Rick]

9. Now, who would have thought that there is NO money in the budget to throw our Dear Leader a parade?

How short sighted of the military.

But Not to worry I'm sure Putin would be more than willing to fund a week long parade in honor of our dear leader. While the military is wasting resources on useless crap, have everyone busy honoring our idiot in charge, the Russians can use their resources to attack some targets. It's a win win for Putin.

[jalan48]

11. You mean the Pentagon is still strapped after their big budget increase of $74 billion?

In terms of millions of dollars that would be

1000 million in a billion

74 X 1000=74,000 million dollars more than last year.

Trump must be pissed after giving them all that money and not getting a measly $50 million parade.

[AtheistCrusader]

20. Finance/Accounting doesn't always work that way.

Just because there's funding in one budget, doesn't mean you can re-direct it to another (legally)

(I'm just rooting for the whole deal to fall through)

[jalan48]

22. Thanks for the info. Maybe next year Trump will need a "Parade" line item for $50 mil.

[AtheistCrusader]

24. Another option would be to convince him this is the MOST IMPORTANT THING and he should spend

the next 52 weeks planning it personally. 100% full time effort.

[jalan48]

28. LOL-I like that approach. It's something he could work at home on in Florida.

[onecent]

12. You don't mean they are going to go ahead and give DOTARD A PARADE..????

All I can say is BS!!!!

I ALSO THINK THEY CAN SAY NO...WHAT COULD HAPPEN?

[Golden Raisin]

13. Let deplorables, Fox and the Russians pay.

Last week I saw televised Congressional testimony by Mick Mulvaney, Director of the Office of Management and Budget. He estimated that the parade would cost between $10-$30 MILLION dollars. You should have seen the faces of some of the Congress people asking the questions! Meanwhile, here in NYC, we have homeless veterans living and begging on the streets. Everything, on every level about this dictator-esque parade is wrong.

[harun]

54. Dem's can introduce a "Deplorables Third World Dictator Parade Tax" bill.

[ffr]

14. I think this is what is called digging the hole deeper.

[IronLionZion]

15. Send them thoughts and prayers

[onecent]

18. Yes let's just send our thoughts and prayers.......Who is going to Salute him?????????

YUK!!

[homegirl]

16. Time to send

one of those "thoughts and prayers" checks!

Should I send it to Trump or the Pentagon?

[joanbarnes]

17. Clearly another way to utilize your thoughts and prayers.

[Javaman]

21. and I'm sure those who "donate" won't receive any political favors, right

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

23. Between $3 million and $50 million is a huge spread.

That's like telling my wife I'm going to the store to pick up between three loaves of bread and 50 loaves, so she can figure out where to stick them (after she tells me where to stick it).

Why are we still talking about putting on this military parade to salve one insecure man's ego? Throw him in jail and we'll have the biggest non-military parade this country has ever seen! It will be hughest, most bestest, and loudest parade ever in the history of the world. Probably the rest of the world will join in!

[Leghorn21]

39. Seriously, I shall return with 3 to 50 loaves of bread, darling - ?!? Whos crunching

these numbers, ffs?!?

[SeattleVet]

63. A reasonable spread, though, given the wide range of variables.

For $3 million, he gets a few high school Jr. ROTC and maybe a couple of college ROTC units in uniform, with balloons that look like airplanes with tank pulltoys that make a popping noise. And Cub Scouts, too, for more 'uniformed' presence. They can earn their "Junior Nuremberg Rally" badges for participating.

$50 million gets him planes, tanks, and a massive amount of troops that should be doing something useful instead of wasting their time and our tax dollars putting on a show for The Orange Horror.

[LastLiberal in PalmSprings]

71. LOL!

[VMA131Marine]

25. If I were in charge of planning this

I would slow walk it as much as possible and find as many reasons for delay as could and hope that I could string the process along until Trumps is impeached or voted out in 2020.

[bearsfootball516]

29. That's exactly what Trump is trying to do with the wall

He knows it's hugely unpopular outside of his base, and it's more effective as a theory and a dream to them than if they actually build it.

[FailureToCommunicate]

27. How about "In exchange for sending in all private owned AR-15s...we'll throw Trump a parade"

-signed, the Pentagon

[Freethinker65]

30. Good way to help drain right wing funding. Make donors names and amounts publicly searchable

This is all about campaigning. As long as the bribes are transparent, it could be very useful.

[RKP5637]

32. Just like dictators do, big military parades. This is stupid beyond belief. Trump, is a raving

maniac.

[bronxiteforever]

33. The tanks can be detailed like NASCAR cars

This tank is brought to you by our sponsors Skittles and Pennzoil

[thesquanderer]

34. He should do a kickstarter campaign.

And if i doesn't reach its funding goals, no parade.

[djacq]

35. Can I donate a NO?

[getagrip_already]

37. What a corporate opportunity! Logo's everywhere!!!

They can wrap the tanks like nascar cars, and the soldiers could all wear logos on their uniforms.

It would be fabulous.

Of course, if the wh controls the funds, there will be one humvee and high school marching band in the parade, and the rest of the money will for planning and organizing it.

[rickford66]

38. Why not have his white militias and Nazis march with their AR-15's

They would jump at the chance. With their pickups with those over sized Confederate flags. The rest of us could relax for a day, knowing all the crazies are in DC.

[Oneironaut]

40. This is horrifying. Were drifting closer to Fascism every day.

The thought of American soldiers saluting and goose/stepping past the President, while tanks, missiles, and APCs roll slowly behind them makes me physically ill. This is America’s creeping Fascism that started with Bush after 9/11.

The US should never have Soviet-style military parades.

[dameatball]

41. If the French had just let Donnie ride in a tank this would not be necessary.

[matt819]

42. Sure, private donations for a military parade

I can't see anything wrong with that.

So, I'm an American-based multinational with operations, say, in dangerous parts of South America, or Africa. Mining? Oil? I don'ate $10 million for this parade, and then, some time down the road, my operations are at risk from local insurgents, terrorists, or just folks harmed by whatever it is I'm doing in their region.

Ordinarily, I'd turn to mercenaries, err, whoops, private military contractors. But, now, with my $10 million investment, I think I'll call on the Pentagon to bail me out.

In 3. . . 2. . . 1 - Lawsuits.

[MyOwnPeace]

43. Why don't they just

march down the street and make every public school safe for our children?

[Vinca]

44. This is sad and pathetic.

Millions of dollars wasted to stroke Don's damaged ego.

[sarge43]

62. Which is exactly why the Pentagon kited the 'option'.

It makes Moron look sad and pathetic.

[ginnyinWI]

45. Let the baby-man pay for his own damn parade.

Let his followers contribute, and if not enough money comes in, cancel!

[lindalou65]

47. Military Parade ?

What if they held a parade and nobody came?

[left-of-center2012]

48. Hold a KKK rally

Pass the hat

[dweller]

49. let them hold a bake sale ...

fuk them ...

[BobTheSubgenius]

50. Bake Sales For Plutocrats.

It's all the rage now.

[underpants]

52. You all watch - Trump will have a gold carriage built for him

which will fulfill his dream of an England trip

[Bleacher Creature]

53. Good. I hope the whole thing turns into a gigantic clusterf$&@!

Last edited Mon Feb 19, 2018, 06:41 PM - Edit history (1)

The more embarrassing, the better.

[SeattleVet]

65. Remember the parade in 'Animal House'?

Yeah, one like that would be great!

[Bleacher Creature]

70. Yes! I mean, who doesn't love the "release a bucket full of marbles" gag?? NT

[lillypaddle]

55. Are you fucking kidding me????

[OldManTarHeel]

56. I'm Eager to Contribute . .

I would appreciate DU's opinion on how much tho . .

https://www.poopsenders.com/#order

[Sancho]

57. I'd like to see Stormy riding on a tank!!

[Bengus81]

58. Why not between a five spot and a billion $$$$$?? Make about as much sense.

[Zambero]

59. Here are the REAL parade options

1. Nazi Germany
2. North Korea
3. Soviet Russia
3. China Tiananmen Square
5. Hybrid Dotard (taking the "best" from each one)

[HopeAgain]

60. Sorry, I gave at the office

Now go away.

[KY_EnviroGuy]

64. Best cartoon I've seen to date on the parade - from the UK.

Steve Bell on Donald Trump's wish for a military display – Guardian cartoon:

See: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/picture/2018/feb/07/steve-bell-donald-trump-military-display-cartoon

Is Mr. Bell implying the Donald has shit for brains?

...............

[Cha]

66. I'm sure some rich assholes will

cough it up.

[maxrandb]

69. This is fucked up on so many levels

"Here comes the 2ND Marine Expeditionary Unit, brought to you by Walmart... they'll be followed by the 1st Army Mechanical Division brought to you by Papa John's"

Someone stop this fucking insanity... I can't take it anymore!!!

[mpcamb]

74. If they ask for a dime they're the same scum that trump is.

[dflprincess]

75. Maybe the defense contractors can pay for it

after all the whole thing is nothing but a display of their products.

[lunasun]

77. ++That was my thought

/revision/latest?cb=20121223004352

[democrank]

76. Have Jared come up with a solution.

He's the Head of Everything, might as well put him in charge of the parade.

[thinkingagain]

78. Americans would be happy to parade his ass

Right into the nearest prison.
Then he could have his dreams come true
A parade
A wall
His best people with him

[MustLoveBeagles]

79. +1

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

80. Put all our soldiers on street corners, selling ...

... C-ration cookies! Station them outside marijuana stores as well.