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[smjjames]

Yeah, only authoritarian shitholes have military parades. Look at these dictators showing off their strength.

Honestly, how much kool-aid are you drinking?

I notice no American ones in there. Independence day is one thing, and it's not a typical thing to do here as far as the tanks and missile launchers, especially for inauguration (the tanks would be too heavy for the roads anyway, ditto the missile launchers).

On mobile so no videos, but look at Fleet Week, or how the USAF does air shows and flies over sports stuff all the time. The army doesn't turn out too often but this really is making something of nothing.

I'm totally aware of airshows and all that, Blue Angels and stuff, maybe we just prefer airshows and navy shows to bringing out the tanks and stuff.

Right-wing media is going mental over CNN "encouraging people to assassinate Trump", after they aired an ill-advised segment on the line of succession between administrations, with the tag "developing news" during which they concluded that if Trump, Pence and the congressional leaders all die, Obama gets to appoint the next president.

Eh? Didn't catch that segment, but yeah, kind of a weird thing to do I guess.

[Reelya]

Airshows have always been about pride in the technology.

Ground troops marching through a city with large threatening machines of death in tow have always been about sending a message of strength (and this is not aimed at other countries, it's a nationalist symbolism aimed at your own people).

UK and France might not be full on dictatorships, but they are in fact both nations who ruled vast colonial empires through force until very recent decades. So when you ask "are UK and France dictatorships?" well they might not have been at home but pretty much anywhere else in their empires whether or not you got a vote depended on the color of your skin.

[Baffler]

Airshows have always been about pride in the technology.

Ground troops marching through a city with large threatening machines of death in tow have always been about sending a message of strength (and this is not aimed at other countries, it's a nationalist symbolism aimed at your own people).

UK and France might not be full on dictatorships, but they are in fact both nations who ruled vast colonial empires through force until very recent decades. So when you ask "are UK and France dictatorships?" well they might not have been at home but they had vast empires of conquered peoples until within living memory.

I think we may be on wavelengths too different to have a conversation about this.

[Reelya]

Well my point was that as well as dictatorships and remnants of dictatorships, empires (or remnants thereof) are also prone to large excessive military displays. In a dictatorship the power is turned against the local populace, whereas in an empire the power symbolizes the power of the homeland over the subjugated nations.

USA is probably different, neither being a dictatorship, nor seeing itself as an empire. Those types of displays of brute force by the federal government would seem to go against the founding charter of the republic.

As for Britain, until 100 years ago they had the largest empire in history, encompassing 1/4 of the world's population. They didn't get that from being "democratic", they got it by attacking and subjugating other nations. Only a few people in their empire ever got the vote. British military parades hark back to the days they had a massive slave empire. You don't really want to emulate that.

[smjjames]

Well my point was that as well as dictatorships and remnants of dictatorships, empires (or remnants thereof) are also prone to large excessive military displays. In a dictatorship the power is turned against the local populace, whereas in an empire the power symbolizes the power of the homeland over the subjugated nations.

USA is probably different, neither being a dictatorship, nor seeing itself as an empire. Those types of displays of brute force by the federal government would seem to go against the founding charter of the republic.

We're a different sort of empire though, Pax Americana and all that. About half of those videos were for the countries respective independence day or national day though.

We do like our airshows though.

[Strife26]

Air shows, fleet week, public family day celebrations, public affairs focused training events all fulfill the same functions as a military parade.

[WealthyRadish]

If there's one thing the United States is critically lacking it would have to be defense spending, and if there's one more thing it's lacking, it's popular support for the troops. I'm frequently disappointed by the devotional lapse that the public has fallen into, and worse the failure of politicians to adequately affirm the importance of the armed forces or praise their character and accomplishments. It may be an unpopular view, but I think we as citizens should give our unconditional support to our defense forces, and I find the virtual silence on the part of the politicians on this issue very disturbing. If this atmosphere of at times flagrant disrespect continues, inappropriate inquiries and criticisms into the nature and purpose of the defense department may become commonplace, opening vulnerabilities of a possibly terroristic nature (both from our foreign enemies and enemies at home). What we need more than ever is universal enthusiastic and public conformity on this issue, an issue of faith really, such that our defensive operations may continue to inspire the fear and admiration they deserve, here at home and the world over.

Is this post too troll? I think it may be too troll, but it took a long time to write.

[smjjames]

If there's one thing the United States is critically lacking it would have to be defense spending, and if there's one more thing it's lacking, it's popular support for the troops. I'm frequently disappointed by the devotional lapse that the public has fallen into, and worse the failure of politicians to adequately affirm the importance of the armed forces or praise their character and accomplishments. It may be an unpopular view, but I think we as citizens should give our unconditional support to our defense forces, and I find the virtual silence on the part of the politicians on this issue very disturbing. If this atmosphere of at times flagrant disrespect continues, inappropriate inquiries and criticisms into the nature and purpose of the defense department may become commonplace, opening vulnerabilities of a possibly terroristic nature (both from our foreign enemies and enemies at home). What we need more than ever is universal enthusiastic and public conformity on this issue, an issue of faith really, such that our defensive operations may continue to inspire the fear and admiration they deserve, here at home and the world over.

{color=transparent]Is this post too troll? I think it may be too troll, but it took a long time to write.[/color}

Til transparent is a color, but I was gonna rebuke with "Um, we already spend a heck of a lot on defense, even with the spending cuts that we got after the 2008 recession."

Remove the "lowsupport for the troops" bit and you've got pretty much the Republican view.

[Rolan7]

I'm pretty sure that was obviously satire to anyone who has spent much time in America, though pedantically I'd rather people used /s or
Ideally /s,

Edit:  And that's not the typical "Patriots are dumb but only if they're American" nonsense, it's that it incorporates specific wording from an impressive number of well-known, moronic, chants.

[inteuniso]

Air shows, fleet week, public family day celebrations, public affairs focused training events all fulfill the same functions as a military parade.

A CIA representative showed up to my government class in high school once. Does that count?

Also from where I'm at, most people don't have trouble with family welfare; they're willing to spend anything on family/friends. Money drains such as addictions create dire circumstances where people get drained by addicts and they have to cut them off, and the effect ripples. Measure out the effect of the entire population of victims, and there is the net drain on the population such that the majority of US folks don't have a checking account approaching $500. There are other cultural reasons (when's the last time you've read/watched something where the people haven't kicked back and partied instead of spending money on building community centers/gardens/public works/something that makes them money)but by and large there's been a great deal of social isolationism that's built up because of the "self-contained family" and vast amounts of people have been emotionally/mentally anguished leading to mistakes.

tl;dr tantrum spiral, yo.

[smjjames]

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/trump-administration-staffing-empty-positions-233880

They keep saying "We'll start on Monday.", but what if something happens over the weekend? I'm not saying something absolutely will happen over the weekend that requires attention, but it's just a 'what if' because the President needs to be able to respond to crisises, even if they happen on a weekend.

Though from a logistical standpoint, it makes some sense, also gives things time to get settled in over the weekend.

[Sergarr]

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/trump-administration-staffing-empty-positions-233880

They keep saying "We'll start on Monday.", but what if something happens over the weekend? I'm not saying something absolutely will happen over the weekend that requires attention, but it's just a 'what if' because the President needs to be able to respond to crisises, even if they happen on a weekend.

Though from a logistical standpoint, it makes some sense, also gives things time to get settled in over the weekend.

He changed his mind.

Washington (CNN)President-elect Donald Trump is ready to "get the show going."

Less than 24 hours before he is inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States, Trump told supporters at a luncheon at his Washington hotel Thursday that he is preparing to use the presidential pen to sign some "very meaningful" documents.
"We will be signing some papers that will be very meaningful tomorrow right after the speech to get the show going," Trump said, according to cell phone video of his remarks during a closed press portion of the luncheon obtained by CNN.
The remarks came hours after the President-elect's incoming White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said Trump is planning to sign a series of executive orders beginning Friday, though Spicer said Trump is "still working through which ones he wants to deal with tomorrow versus Monday or Tuesday."
"The President-elect is continuing to get briefed on some of the orders he wants to do and the sequencing thereof," Spicer said. "I think you'll see some activity on both tomorrow, over the weekend and then Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday."

Never believe Trump on his word

never

[smjjames]

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/trump-administration-staffing-empty-positions-233880

They keep saying "We'll start on Monday.", but what if something happens over the weekend? I'm not saying something absolutely will happen over the weekend that requires attention, but it's just a 'what if' because the President needs to be able to respond to crisises, even if they happen on a weekend.

Though from a logistical standpoint, it makes some sense, also gives things time to get settled in over the weekend.

He changed his mind.

Washington (CNN)President-elect Donald Trump is ready to "get the show going."

Less than 24 hours before he is inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States, Trump told supporters at a luncheon at his Washington hotel Thursday that he is preparing to use the presidential pen to sign some "very meaningful" documents.
"We will be signing some papers that will be very meaningful tomorrow right after the speech to get the show going," Trump said, according to cell phone video of his remarks during a closed press portion of the luncheon obtained by CNN.
The remarks came hours after the President-elect's incoming White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said Trump is planning to sign a series of executive orders beginning Friday, though Spicer said Trump is "still working through which ones he wants to deal with tomorrow versus Monday or Tuesday."
"The President-elect is continuing to get briefed on some of the orders he wants to do and the sequencing thereof," Spicer said. "I think you'll see some activity on both tomorrow, over the weekend and then Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday."

Never believe Trump on his word

never

Well, his first full workday anyhow.

[Rolan7]

So, never

[wierd]

This is a guy who:

1) Funneled huge amounts of money through false charities to buy personal status symbols for his his real-estate holdings and other bullshit.
2) Is a real-estate magnate in NEW YORK
3) Has a loooooooong history of NEVER PAYING FOR WORK HE COMISSIONS
4) Has YET to make a salient sentence on twitter
5) Has YET to give a really clear policy agenda
6) Has severe symptoms of some kind of delusion of grandeur type disorder, possibly a poster child for Dunning-Kruger?

And you expect there is a time we could EVER trust him?