No Kings Protest
People-Power, Protests, and Pushback on Trump’s Agenda
Dear readers,
Like many of you, I’ve been closely following recent developments in the Middle East. Before sharing my thoughts on the Israel-Iran conflict I wanted to take a moment to reflect on this past weekend and what two different events can tell us about the current state of politics in the United States. June 14th was the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States Army, the beginning of the nationwide “No Kings” protest movement, and Donald Trump’s birthday.
Months ago Donald Trump requested that a military parade be held on his birthday. While the celebration of the Army’s founding was given as a pretext for the parade, it was immediately apparent that this event was intended to stroke Trump’s ego and project power and strength in a time of growing political discontent. The inspiration for this display likely came from Trump’s personal admiration of dictators like Putin and Kim Jong Un - both of whom use grand Soviet-style military parades to draw attention away from the dysfunctions within their own government. Compared to the rest of the world, the United States takes a very different approach to military parades. Our civilian-run government does not need displays of military might to ensure domestic political stability. There is no need to parade missiles, jets, and tanks through the capital when there is no other military on earth that can match our lethality and efficiency. Our military parades, such as the 1946 New York City Victory Parade after WW2 and the 1991 National Victory Celebration after the Gulf War, are celebrations of the conquest of liberty over tyranny - not shows of force against domestic opposition and unnamed foes abroad.
In a different administration, this past weekend’s parade would have been a celebration of the history of the US Army and the generations of men and women that have served in its ranks. The 250th anniversary could have been marked with a well-organized parade of historic uniforms stretching from the early continental militia to the present. Instead, the American public was given a sparsely attended and hastily organized parade. The Army’s Quarter Millennium celebration was squandered to serve one man’s ego. The Army deserved better, and the United States deserves better when the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence is observed next year.
Saturday was also the launch of the No Kings protest movement across the United States. Compared to Trump’s dud of a parade, these events were well-attended, well-organized, and showed just how much people-power can be mobilized in opposition to Trump. I was lucky enough to join a group of folks in Asheville, North Carolina - what I saw was a group of Americans ready to use their First Amendment rights to push back against Trump and the MAGA Agenda. Even with demonstrations across the United States (with some crowds easily in the thousands), there were no reports of damage or violence by protestors. What I especially appreciated about the No Kings protest was the fact that this movement is based on patriotic opposition to the Trump administration’s desire for rule by monarchy and oligarchy. This movement is a reflection of the concepts at the heart of the American revolution and it gives me great hope for the coming midterms.
A march in Asheville, North Carolina
Much like the first Trump administration, this presidency is going to feel like a marathon, not a sprint. People-power is going to be key to pushing back against the MAGA Agenda over the next four years and movements like No Kings are an important reminder of just how unpopular Trump is. Additionally, we should assume that the celebration of the Army’s founding will not be the last time that Trump attempts to use our military as a tool for his own domestic political interests. Our brave men and women in uniform are not pawns for Trump and his cronies and our oaths are to uphold the constitution, not appease one man and his fragile ego. I think this past weekend’s protests may be the start of a movement to recapture America’s ideal and reject Trump, Trumpism, and the many terrible “isms” of America First.
We should be celebrating American heroes like Alexander Vindman instead of wading through the muck of the current administration.
Will the Navy and Marines, too? They were established in 1775.
The best part was the festival on the mall. There were battle reenactments, fitness contests, rock climbing, face painting, live bands, and more. This is how you showcase our military. There were logistical difficulties, but my understanding is that it went well. Do we still have airshows? Marines hold a toy drive every Christmas, showcasing the Marine Corps.
A parade isn't patriotism. The festival was about patriotism. Want to boost recruitment? Have an interactive show of hardware and share the life of server members. Do we still have MREs? Serve some of those. Get people excited! Watching a sea of platoons in BDUs march past is not exciting.
Trump craves power and attention. Trump can't seem to fit into social circles. Now he is trying to be accepted by the dictators (who are laughing at him). Trump's problem is that he tries too hard. He insists on shoving the square peg into the round hole.