Donald Trump wants a splendid display of American military might rolling down Pennsylvania Avenue in a patriotic parade — so naturally, his political enemies must find a way to get hysterical about it.
Appearing on CNN, Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse gravely informed the country that a military parade is a bad idea because it would remind people of North Korea.
CAMEROTA: “Do you want to see a military parade in Washington, D.C. for President Trump?”
WHITEHOUSE: “You know, I don’t think it’s a good look for us. I think a lot of the world remembers the Soviet May Day parades and they still see the North Korean military parades around Pyongyang. I think a better look for us is a free, open and diverse democracy in which everybody gets their say.”
Whitehouse waxed absolutely poetic later, quoting John Winthrop:
WHITEHOUSE: “Like I said, I don’t think it’s a good look for our country. I think, you know, when John Winthrop, what now, four centuries ago nearly, said that America should be as a city on a hill and with all the world’s eyes upon it, I think when the world’s eyes look at our city on the hill and they see an echo of Soviet May Day parades and North Korean military parades that’s not the best image for us. I think a vibrant and lively democracy is the best image out to the world and I think that’s what we represent to the world when we’re at our best.”
Yes, but nothing quite says “a vibrant and lively democracy” like watching an M-1A2 Abrams Battle Tank rumbling down the street.
Awesome.
Would it do any good to point out that an all-volunteer military marching down the streets of a free city in a free country on that nation’s Independence Day is about as far removed from the miserable conscript armies in a hellish prison like North Korea as you can get?
Really, Senator?
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