When fascism comes to the United States, it will be carrying a bible and humping the flag – paraphrasing, of course.
As you’ve probably heard me bleat and mewl by now, Hair Füror is forcing the military to throw him a YUGE parade on the Fourth of July, after he attended twice-invaded France’s Bastille Day festivities and demanded the same thing for himself, just biglier, because: small hands.
There are a number of issues surrounding the event, including the following:
- the millions of Ameros it will cost, (including $2.5M Ameros stolen from the National Parks!) — By comparison, according to former Park Service deputy director Denis P. Galvin, the entire Fourth of July celebration on the Mall typically costs the agency “about $2 million.”
- the troops, who are home for the holiday, will have to return to D.C. to move and guard tanks, go through full inspection and then march in full dress through D.C in 90-100 degree heat and 200% humidity on the 4th.
- the closest Abrams tanks “appeared to be a 350-mile drive away at the 150th Cavalry Regiment, a unit of the West Virginia National Guard in Bluefield, W.Va.”
- the potential collapse of the Arlington Memorial Bridge
- Also/too:
One detail you might have missed in our July 4th story: engineers are examining if the weight of stationing tanks will damage the Lincoln Memorial’s underground rooms. Those are the ones Zinke often liked to tour frequently w/ guests @jdawsey1 @DanLamothe https://t.co/G4k3qg5ZTO
— Juliet Eilperin (@eilperin) July 2, 2019
Infrastructure week is shaping up to be really exciting!
NEW — @USArmy says armored vehicles WILL move through WASHINGTON TONIGHT.
Specifically:
Two M1 Bradley Armored Personnel Carriers.Army spokesperson says, “you’ll see them moving through your neighborhood, but DON’T PANIC.”@WUSA9 #SaluteToAmerica #FourthofJuly pic.twitter.com/c9IockpNMv
— Mike Valerio (@MikevWUSA) July 3, 2019
Just left the Nats game, and we were greeted by Trump’s tanks rolling through just outside the ballpark @fox5dc @nbcwashington pic.twitter.com/O9VmDGFoMY
— Cole (@eloc8) July 3, 2019
Back to small hands:
“Meanwhile, the Interior Department confirmed to POLITICO last week that the Navy’s Blue Angels will conduct a flyover and a Marine Corps Silent Drill Team will take part in the celebration.
“Other aircraft may include F-22 and F-35 fighters, one of the aircraft used as Air Force One, and even a massive B-2 stealth bomber, according to CNN. In addition, ABC reported an MV-22 Osprey “tiltrotor” aircraft will be on hand, and the event could mark the public debut of the Marine Corps’ new presidential helicopter, the VH-92.”
And then there’s the Hatch Act, making an Apprentice-style, commercial break, cliff-hanger (emphasis mine):
“For Trump’s planned speech at the Lincoln Memorial, the White House is distributing VIP tickets to Republican donors and political appointees, prompting objections from Democratic lawmakers who argue that the president has turned the annual celebration into a campaign-like event.”
The Prznint is not beholden to the Hatch Act, but he is not allowed to spend the gubmint’s money to do it. So another crime/misdemeanor to add to the indictments once we remove the tick, er, prznint from office.
But wait! There’s more!
“President Donald Trump boasted Tuesday that the nation’s military leaders are “thrilled” that he’s trotting out a dazzling display of troops, tanks, helicopters and fighter jets for his personal Independence Day celebration.
“But multiple former military leaders are publicly expressing dismay, calling it the latest example of Trump politicizing the armed services.
Name names or it didn’t happen, Tiger Beat!
“This looks like it’s becoming much more of a Republican Party event — a political event about the president — than a national celebration of the Fourth of July, and it’s unfortunate to have the military smack dab in the middle of that,” said retired Army Lt. Gen. David Barno, who commanded U.S. troops in Afghanistan under President George W. Bush.
“The president is using the armed forces in a political ploy for his reelection campaign and I think it’s absolutely obscene,” added retired Army Maj. Gen. William Nash, a veteran of Vietnam, the Gulf War and peacekeeping operations in the Balkans.”
Okay, then!
Mock Paper Scissors 
One thing I’m rooting for is rain (altho’ I think it also means wet Trump balloon diaper and wet USS McCain tee shirt contest) but it should put a damper on the attendance.
Going by his inauguration, Trump will lie about crowd size, regardless.
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Scattered t-storms, 40% chance of rain predicted!
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If it’s just rain, he would stick it out. He’ll be under something. However, if there is thunder, wow, he will have flashbacks of his days in Nam. Oh, wait, ……………!!
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If those are Bradley APCs, they’re M2s, not M1s, and don’t carry a large cannon. Der Hairer is going to be disappointed.
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I suppose someone could run to Home Depot, buy a couple of ten or twelve foot 6″ PVC drainpipes and some green spray paint. Slip ’em over the real barrels and the dotard won’t know the difference.
“Yes, Mr. President, these are the brand-new Sherman tanks! We haven’t yet installed the stealth coating on these two, but as you can see by the rest of the 500 rolling down the road over there, they have it on!”
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Skinny-D: he won’t know the difference.
The Bradley is actually an troop mover, the guns were added later as an afterthought. And as an after-after-thought, the armor was added later. It gets bolted on and off.
How do I know? Because I worked on them at FMC a lifetime ago.
Rgds,
TG
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“You go to War with the
rolling junk, er, <s<under-armored Humvees, er, themen and materialthe Army you have.” I’m old enough to remember ol’ Rummy hisself sayin that, and then later, how difficult – and expensive – it was to upgrade and up-armor the fighting vehicles we sent our men and women in uniform to die in. It was hardly worth it, just to save a few soldier’s lives.And after the War with Iraq wound down, and we began bringing the troops home, guess what happened to all that fancy up-armored equipment? We just left it sitting there, with the keys in the ignitions, and the User’s Manual on the front seats. Hell it was the perfect environment for storing shit outdoors, and besides – it would have cost WAY too much to ship it back home. Besides, what’s the worst that could happen? You think Al-Qaeda or ISIS would stumble upon the disposal locations, and just drive off in equipment we so conveniently provided? Hah! As if!
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Aarrrrrgh! One of these days I’ll get the hang of the <>’s. And I never thought it would be so difficult to proofread my very own comments, and then approve them for publishing. I blame it mostly on the mood-lightening psychotropics. Yes, I used to get severe mood-lightnings, (AND thunders,) so now they’re trying me out on some of this new shit that I don’t always react well to.
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Here’s a little WordPress secret: for italics asterisk in front and behind), use two asterisks in a row in front and behind – and it emboldens. 3 asterisks embolden and italicizes it.
TG
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Thanks, TG, VERY useful info, but! The problem lies in the situation where I proofread my comment, but sometimes my eyeballz are vibrating so wildly that I don’t always see what I’m looking at. Better living thru chemistry, eh?
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Those military “chiefs” Trump has ordered to stand with him at his parade to his ego (and to provide taxpayer paid footage for his reelection campaign) ought to turn their backs on Trump after they are introduced, It will destroy their military careers, but will preserve their integrity. Those military “chiefs” are not only being used by Trump as props, they’re also being used as hostages/human shields, just in case any soldiers passing in review get any funny ideas as to how to best serve their country and protect it from its enemies, both foreign and domestic.
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Actually they should decline respectfully since he’s requiring them to violate the Hatch Act.
https://www.defense.gov/ask-us/faq/Article/1774809/what-is-the-policy-for-participating-in-political-campaigns/
It prohibits Military personnel participating in partisan political events while in uniform; and unlike the hive of scum and villainy that is the White House, the Pentagon takes adhering to the law seriously.
A military officer by his oath and under the UMCJ is required to NOT follow illegal orders.
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Yeah, that worked out well for 1st Lt. Ehren Watada. Seems he is part owner of a Las Vegas burger place now, but that whole devoting his life to the service and then getting kicked to the curb for displaying ethics was pretty disturbing, and a real dampener for the whistle blowers to follow.
(second entry in this article.)
https://www.frolichawaii.com/urbanmixplate/viva-vegas-a-new-wave-of-burgers
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I was a high school kid in Berkeley during the riot years. I clearly remember the squads of National Guard troops with fixed Bayonets, marching thru a part of our town, named “the war zone”. I remember seeing tanks and armored personnel carriers parked down by the Bay on city land. It was scary then, and It’s a lot scarier now with Cheeto Boy in charge.
This could end Very Badly.
Just a saying
w3ski
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So what’s the Reno’s going bet that Traitor Toddler Donnie’s speak will be 90% of him (how’s he been harassed, badgered by the media & others), how much he’s done for this country. All his “peace” negotiations, blah, blah, blah. And how much about America. I WON’T be watching, that’s for sure!! Il wait til Fri & get the “highlights” from the blogs.
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I’ve never found that online betting board, but that would be a no-bet for me.
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Perhaps the presidunce could be persuaded to await his turn at the podium in one of those small underground rooms over which the tanks will roll. With veepee peepee at his side, to gaze adoringly at his master as the the tanks fall–er, roll–overhead.
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The tanks won’t roll, there will be two somewhere in a static display, and that appears to be the work of someone (probably several somebodies) in the military pushing back hard enough to do possible damage to their careers.
And then, ABC, CBS, and NBC have announced they will not be carrying Trump’s Parade to Me.
Also, too, White House aids are so concerned that the turn out for Trumps Ceremony to Self will be so low that they have instigated a humbug factor which counts one ticket as ten for reserved seating in front of the Lincoln memorial where Trump will perform his Pecksniffian buster.
Except for those who were born without a brain, lost theirs through drugs or violence, or have traded their honor for pelf, The Donald is not loved in this land.
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with the rnc being in charge of passing out tickets for the extra-special vip section to big donors, i’m assuming there’ll also be a very vip section at local airports for all those planes flying in from overseas (i mean i’m sure jared got preferential parking for his saudi bffs and russian mob-linked oligarchs’ jets can’t be expected to mingle with the peasants. what the hell were they paying for in the first place?). i just hope someone’s paying attention and a few pix wouldn’t hurt.
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