An Ego Trip …

Posted on by under Political commentary, Rants

The people who voted for Donald Trump in 2016 did so based on certain things that they believed in, that they believed would make their lives better, and he promised to fulfill their wishes.  One of those things was a smaller government that provided fewer services.  The reasoning was that if the government shrunk, had fewer employees and provided fewer services, money would be saved and taxes could be lowered, thus putting more money in the pockets of the working class.

However, theory and reality are often not quite the same, and the reality here is that Trump has cut services to the poor and disadvantaged, he has cut taxes for the wealthy, but the working class is no better off than they were before, and in fact have less now than they had before.  Why?  There are a number of reasons, including massive amounts of waste by Trump’s cabinet and by Trump himself, the tax cuts were only to the wealthy, Trump’s tariffs are causing prices to rise, and this …

Trump Military Parade To Cost Taxpayers Nearly $100M

What a colossal and foolish waste of our money!!!

This ego trip was initially, we were told, to cost a mere $12 million.  That would have fed 2,307 average families for a full year, but hey … Trump’s ego is far more important than feeding hungry kids, right?  But now, the estimated cost, $92 million, could have fed 17,692 average families for a full year!  How do we justify this?  What is the purpose of this ‘military parade’?  The answers are that we cannot possibly justify it and the only purpose is to stroke the ego of the megalomaniac in the Oval Office.

The parade is scheduled for Saturday, November 10th, and is to start at the U.S. Capitol and end at the White House where, undoubtedly, the 5,000-7,000 troops who are marching will be expected to salute Trump.  Now, not only is the parade costing an exorbitant amount of money up front, but there is a likelihood that there will be ‘after-the-fact’ costs to repair Pennsylvania Avenue.  Initially, General Joseph Dunford, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said that no tanks would be included in the parade, for they would cause “damage to local infrastructure”.  But now, because Trump wants them, eight tanks will make their way to the White House on a street that taxpayers will then be required to repair.

Now, how did this all come about?  Well, remember last July when Trump happened to be in France during their annual Bastille Day celebration?  As a part of the festivities, there was a military parade, and Trump, exactly like the child who, upon seeing his friends new toy, then insists that his parents buy the same toy for him, decided that he must also have a military parade.  And so, during a meeting at the Pentagon on January 18th, Trump ordered just such a parade for himself.  The Washington Post got wind of it and published the story, after which the White House issued a statement that said Trump “has asked the Department of Defense to explore a celebration at which all Americans can show their appreciation.”  Hello?  First, very few, if any Americans will travel to DC to watch this costly display of foolishness. Second … show our appreciation to whom and for what???  Are we supposed to be appreciative to Trump for destroying our environment, our schools, our reputation, and our very nation?  I think not.

Trump originally intended the parade to be on July 4th, Independence Day, but apparently it couldn’t be pulled together quite that soon, so he settled for the November date, which is one day before Veteran’s Day and also marks the 100th anniversary of the end of World War I.  What Trump fails to realize … or simply doesn’t care … is that the Bastille Day parade in France is a long-standing tradition, dating back to 1880!  And, France’s Bastille Day parade is a celebration of citizen’s rights, not military might. The U.S. has no such tradition, nor do we need one.

The U.S. has not held a major military parade in Washington since 1991 to mark the end of Operation Desert Storm. That parade reportedly cost approximately $8 million and was paid for with about $3 million in government funds and the rest with private donations.  Trump’s parade, all $92 million, would be paid for with taxpayer dollars.

Our economy is on the verge of a downturn, due largely to some very poor decisions on the part of Donald Trump and his minions.  The average wage earner has not seen an increase in his or her real wages in years, and in fact, today’s real wages have dropped to 1974 levels (more about this in a future post).  Trump takes credit for a lot that is not his due, and is spending our money willy-nilly on such foolishness as a parade to show American’s gratitude to him, when we should be showing him the back door!  This is nothing but yet another ego trip for Donald Trump at a huge cost to We The People.

Note to Readers:  This evening, a couple of hours after this post was published, it was announced that the parade has been postponed until 2019!  Perhaps sometimes our voices are heard?

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71 thoughts on “An Ego Trip …”

  2. Apparently the cancellation wasn’t due because of the cost.
    Oh now the Great and Wonderous Flabmiester hath reveal unto us the Truth…..
    ‘It was the fault of the local government of Washington’
    Well of course, it had to be……………..

    Liked by 2 people

  5. Let’s hope by next year the parade will fade into an indefinite time and given time fade away completely. It’s as silly as the Space Force. Does POTUS think up these bright ideas when he gets insomnia from eating big meals before bedtime? 😦 — Suzanne

    Liked by 2 people

    • I suspect that the parade will never happen, but now he plans to spend that money on fighter jets, which we likely don’t need more of, and it’s just another toy for him! I think you are right … all those Big Macs keep him on the potty half the night, where he comes up with all his scatter-brained ideas, and then his thumbs start tweeting! 😀

      Liked by 1 person

      • Sadly, I just read the bombs that hit the school bus in Yemen and killed all those children were from the U.S. I hope POTUS is happy now with his Saudi connections. More of this and Americans will be ashamed to show their faces abroad. Hopefully, people there realize most Americans think it’s terrible and blame it on him. 😦 — Suzanne

        Liked by 1 person

        • Thanks for the heads up on that … I hadn’t yet heard, for I’ve been busily working on blog posts and emails. DAMN! This is the second time in as many months that we have been guilty of murder in Yemen … 😥 I hope you’re right that people will be outraged, but you know what? I doubt it. These days they cannot see beyond the U.S. … remember Trump’s motto, “America First”? People … at least his followers … are buying that one hook, line and sinker. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Sigh.

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  6. Pomp and ceremony go hand in hand with power and fame , the thinking is while I strut and fret my time on the stage of life at least I will be recognised as important.
    ‘ The paths of glory lead but to the grave.’

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      • Those with the means to do it love to boost their egos and there are no greater means than a nation’s taxes. The concept of wasting money will very much depend on your circumstances, in the poorer nation’s food takes a large percentage of income , while us rich westerners have money for all sorts of frivolity. I heard it whispered we are even sending a probe to the suns corona , no doubt a miracle of technology that will create a big ego trip for many but are there not more urgent earthbound worthy causes?

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        • True … and it seems that Trump thinks he has been handed a blank cheque to spend our tax dollars however he wishes. Indeed, there most assuredly are MANY earthbound causes that are far more deserving … such as feeding the poor, sheltering the homeless, and taking care of sick kids. Not to mention all those immigrant children who are still being held in ‘detention camps’ and separated from their parents. And he is ‘making America great’??? I think not.

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    • The idea has merit! What I thought would be fun is if as they passed by the White House, with Trump in the 2nd floor balcony waiting to be saluted, every single person in the parade, instead of saluting, raised their middle finger!!! Just one of those devious thoughts that rattle around inside my head. 😉
      Cwtch

      Liked by 1 person

  8. While I feel STRONGLY this whole parade thing is wrong-wrong-wrong on so many levels ….

    I would love to see the turnout be reminiscent to the inaugural crowd. 😈 Oh boy! Wouldn’t that bust a certain over-sized ego! Baawaaahaaa!

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  9. one of my congressmen is “known” for his annual “expose of govt waste”..even HE thinks trump’s little dictators parade is okay. Of course, he is a Republican…..and I hated writing that last part. I HATE that isthas become so very obvious that an entire political party has abdicated their responsibilities.

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    • Yes, I hate that ‘us’ vs ‘them’ mentality, but … I don’t see it ending soon. The good news is that the parade isn’t happening, at least until next year, and my best guess would be it won’t happen then, either. I take some pleasure picturing Trump in a foul humour ’cause he ain’t gettin’ his parade! 😀 😀 😀

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  10. So what can we do? I’ve written my Congressman, 1 Democrat who understands and 2 Republicans who don’t give a rat’s ass what I think, and tonight I still want to rant and rave. But who’s going to listen?

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  12. I might argue that the rot started since Bush era …? Whatever…. the bankers will do very well. It does not matter who we vote in they’re all “government” doing the “will”. They may spend taxpayers money like … well, like it is going out of style. Liberal or Conservative or whatever is the flavour. All operate in the same way. Because they are professional puppets. Debt is only figures … you know that. We are after all in the matrix … hehe Cheers Jamie

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      • To be in that position playing that particular game. You probably have to be? It’s just a little more honest by him, if you see the dichotomy? Governments runs on the dirt, they have on you. Mr. Sanders was in and then became a little more honest and sincere in public and actions. It attracted many voters. From my seat, he was cheated out of the ticket. How many other times has that happened? Power and corruption do not like honesty. They prefer skeletons in the cupboard. Cheers Jamie

        Liked by 1 person

    • Very true when men regardless of their affiliation have plenty they spend plenty. The rich and famous live side by side with the poor and destitute. Perhaps it is just as well we are capable of ignoring suffering to some extent otherwise no life would be worth living.

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      • Eh, I’m not so sure I agree with you there. The more attuned we are and the greater conscience we have toward those in need, the more likely we are to help them. If everybody had a conscience and was willing to help the less advantaged to the best of our ability, I think every life would have even more value!

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        • Everybody apart from psychopaths and sociopaths have got consciences in varying degrees but very few are able to give up their pleasures to care for the seriously needy. The biggest opposition to Nye Bevan’s heath service were the doctors themselves who feared a loss of income , but he bribed them with private patients and managed to help millions.

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          • Rather a shame one has to bribe people to do the right thing, but if it helped millions, perhaps the ‘end justified the means’? Perhaps you are right that everybody, less the noted exceptions, has a conscience, but I think many have trained theirs to sit down and shut up. I strongly suspect Trump has none, thereby making him … which? A psychopath or a sociopath?

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            • Many believe Mr Trump is a sociopath he certainly fits that bill by many of his actions , it is most unfortunate that he came to power almost anyone else would have been better but people believed he could line their pockets and that is what matters to many.

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              • By the way I had to change my email and go back to factory settings as I could not access the internet . It was no big deal as I don’t collect much dross but I did not want my voice silenced.

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                • I wondered! On the comments main screen, your name shows, but it’s spelled ‘kersten’ instead of kertsen. And on the actual post, it shows as ‘bfgtsr’. Odd. Question … is mine the only blog you are having this issue with? I ask, because one other reader, Hugh Curtler, had similar problems in posting comments to my posts. Anyway, I am glad to see you again … I wondered where you had gotten off to!

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                  • At first I could not key into WordPress , so I left things awhile to see if it was a passing phase ; besides I had too much to do and too little time to do it in. The next shock was the inability to key into Google , quite serious as it is my source of information , so after a bit of fiddling I decided to reset and this meant creating a new Google account since pass words are not my strong point.
                    ,We have free access in the local library and we go there every few weeks as my wife likes the large print books . Some libraries have closed and there is talk of more cuts to services ; the best and most important things go first as we are led by the blind.
                    I hope I’m not conceited enough to consider myself a great loss but I like to have my say while I’m around.

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              • You’re right … that is what his ‘appeal’ all boiled down to … greed. And the fools still haven’t figured out that they aren’t going to get what they had hoped from him. Human nature is what it is, I suppose, and I am on a fool’s errand myself to hope that it would change over time.

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