Post by Admin on Jul 2, 2019 15:46:15 GMT -4
Donald Trump's July 4 spectacle just keeps getting more and more absurd
Analysis by Chris Cillizza, CNN Editor-at-large
Updated 2:49 PM ET, Tue July 2, 2019
Military police walk near Abrams tanks on a flat car in a rail yard, Monday, July 1, 2019, in Washington, ahead of a Fourth Of July
CNN's Chris Cillizza cuts through the political spin and tells you what you need to know. By subscribing to The Point newsletter, you agree to our privacy policy.
Everyone draws that line differently. But I return to the fact that lots of past presidents -- Republicans and Democrats -- have had the chance to do something like Trump is planning on July 4 and taken a pass, choosing instead to keep the day entirely devoid of any sort of political statement. Was that unpatriotic? Or was it a recognition that putting tanks and other military equipment in and around Washington, DC sends the wrong sort of message to both our allies and our enemies?
The parading of military has long been the stuff of dictators and authoritarian regimes -- from Iran to North Korea to Russia. The leaders -- military and civilian -- in the United States have avoided that sort of thing because, well, the strongest guy in the gym doesn't need to go around telling everyone how strong he is. It's understood. Yes, we have massive military might. But we also believe in diplomacy, avoiding military conflicts at all costs and using force as only a last resort.
Trump doesn't seem to grasp that nuance. Or he grasps it and either doesn't care or doesn't agree.
Either way, the images coming out of Washington, DC, on Thursday night will send a very different message to the country and the world than ever before on July 4. Trump knows that -- and is thrilled about it. I'm not so sure the rest of us should be.
AND HOW MUCH OF THIS ARE WE PAYING ?
😡😡😡
Analysis by Chris Cillizza, CNN Editor-at-large
Updated 2:49 PM ET, Tue July 2, 2019
Military police walk near Abrams tanks on a flat car in a rail yard, Monday, July 1, 2019, in Washington, ahead of a Fourth Of July
CNN's Chris Cillizza cuts through the political spin and tells you what you need to know. By subscribing to The Point newsletter, you agree to our privacy policy.
Everyone draws that line differently. But I return to the fact that lots of past presidents -- Republicans and Democrats -- have had the chance to do something like Trump is planning on July 4 and taken a pass, choosing instead to keep the day entirely devoid of any sort of political statement. Was that unpatriotic? Or was it a recognition that putting tanks and other military equipment in and around Washington, DC sends the wrong sort of message to both our allies and our enemies?
The parading of military has long been the stuff of dictators and authoritarian regimes -- from Iran to North Korea to Russia. The leaders -- military and civilian -- in the United States have avoided that sort of thing because, well, the strongest guy in the gym doesn't need to go around telling everyone how strong he is. It's understood. Yes, we have massive military might. But we also believe in diplomacy, avoiding military conflicts at all costs and using force as only a last resort.
Trump doesn't seem to grasp that nuance. Or he grasps it and either doesn't care or doesn't agree.
Either way, the images coming out of Washington, DC, on Thursday night will send a very different message to the country and the world than ever before on July 4. Trump knows that -- and is thrilled about it. I'm not so sure the rest of us should be.
AND HOW MUCH OF THIS ARE WE PAYING ?
😡😡😡
