Post Av9pMAC1se6fwykZwO by ariaflame@masto.ai
(DIR) More posts by ariaflame@masto.ai
(DIR) Post #Av9n2FHV3Lam1zgS92 by Nonilex@masto.ai
2025-06-15T14:14:20Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
#Trump's #Military #Birthday Parade Was a Gross #FailureThe president's military parade, which reportedly cost up to $45 million, was short on attendees, long on political speeches#dictatorship #authoritarianism #AmericanAutocracy https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-military-birthday-parade-dc-failure-1235365040/
(DIR) Post #Av9nB6RPI2itDhXcJ6 by Nonilex@masto.ai
2025-06-15T14:15:57Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
On Sat,… #Trump held a hideously expensive #military parade in Washington, DC, on his birthday. Trump & his top ofcls stood on a stage at the NationalMall behind 2 tanks, before 2 large digital American flags. Military bands & troops, some on horses, some in vehicles, some in tanks, others in Howitzers, marched in the streets. So did a few robot dogs. An army parachute team jumped down. Helicopters flew over. Drones flew by. There were many, many tanks.#dictatorship #authoritarianism #autocracy
(DIR) Post #Av9nIAO11IGJU1K5pY by Nonilex@masto.ai
2025-06-15T14:17:14Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
The spectacle was billed as honoring the #USArmy's 250th birthday - & planners put in admirable effort to sell this fiction, with processions designed to honor key times in American #military history. In reality, the event was just one part of the #Trump admin's vast, billion-dollar government effort to make the [dear] leader feel good about himself.#dictatorship #authoritarianism #AmericanAutocracy
(DIR) Post #Av9nTDV7mPxoKQuwVs by Nonilex@masto.ai
2025-06-15T14:19:13Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
The weekend's pageantry, which some admin officials referred to as "Donald Trump's birthday parade" behind closed doors, fulfilled #Trump's longtime desire for a grand #military parade. Starting at the #Pentagon in Virginia, the #troops in the parade — who honored the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, & the Global War on Terror - had to walk for about two-and-a-half miles.#politicization #dictatorship #authoritarianism #AmericanAutocracy
(DIR) Post #Av9njoYZm98dt7RjFo by Nonilex@masto.ai
2025-06-15T14:22:14Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
#Trump sat next to his wife Melania & the fmr FauxNews host, #Defense Secy #PeteHegseth. At points, Trump stood alone in front onstage, such as when he saluted troops marching as the 1st Cavalry Division. At another point, Secy of State #MarcoRubio was pictured yawning on C-SPAN. The #military ofcls shown on C-SPAN spoke with reverence about the War on Terror.#politicization #dictatorship #authoritarianism #AmericanAutocracy
(DIR) Post #Av9noAeFa86fYuB4aG by Nonilex@masto.ai
2025-06-15T14:23:01Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
Late in the event, #Trump stood at a podium onstage & swore in 250 new or reenlisting #troops. “Welcome to the United States #Army & have a great life,”Trump said after they recited the Oath of Enlistment. “Thank you very much. Have a great life.”#politicization #dictatorship #authoritarianism #AmericanAutocracy
(DIR) Post #Av9noScmkJd7JZd9nc by PaulWermer@sfba.social
2025-06-15T14:23:02Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Nonilex "No one's a bigger failure than me. You've never seen such failure"?
(DIR) Post #Av9ntkkwlD3AzryJ3g by Nonilex@masto.ai
2025-06-15T14:24:02Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
After 2 hours, the event reached its logical conclusion: #political speeches. #JDVance briefly went first. “June 14 is of course the birthday of the #Army,”Vance said. “It is, of course, the birthday of the president of the United States. And Happy Birthday, Mr. President.”He delivered the [only] laugh line of the night. “It's also my wedding anniversary,”he said before immediately leaving the stage.#politicization #Trump #dictatorship #authoritarianism #AmericanAutocracy
(DIR) Post #Av9o7gvRncp7AdWtNY by Nonilex@masto.ai
2025-06-15T14:26:32Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
Finally, #Trump spoke. He praised the #army - & armies of years past. “Our soldiers never give up, never surrender and never ever quit. They fight, fight, fight and they win, win, win,”Trump said, in what seemed like an obvious reference to his own declaration of “Fight, Fight, Fight,”after a failed assassination attempt grazed his ear in Butler, Pennsylvania, during a campaign event last year.#politicization #dictatorship #authoritarianism #AmericanAutocracy
(DIR) Post #Av9oDXLWKQm1CKVpHE by Nonilex@masto.ai
2025-06-15T14:27:36Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
“We're the hottest country in the world right now,” [wtf?] #Trump said. "Our country will soon be greater & stronger than ever before." He said America is "blessed beyond words by this valued legion of army warriors."#politicization #dictatorship #authoritarianism #AmericanAutocracy
(DIR) Post #Av9oG8BUKtPc1q3aUa by Nonilex@masto.ai
2025-06-15T14:28:04Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
#Trump continued, “No matter the obstacles, our warriors will charge into battle. They will plunge into the crucible of fire, & they will seize the crown of victory, because the United States of America will always have the grace of Almighty God & the iron will of the United States Army. Congratulations to everybody. We love our country. We've never done better. Thank you. God bless you. God bless the army & God bless America.”#politicization #dictatorship #authoritarianism #AmericanAutocracy
(DIR) Post #Av9oTWcomERdaxE8K8 by Nonilex@masto.ai
2025-06-15T14:30:29Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
#Trump stood for a moment beside his wife, Melania, before Trump campaign regular Lee Greenwood sang “God Bless the U.S.A.”(Trump & Greenwood sell bibles together.) “Happy birthday Mr. President,”Greenwood said at one point.When he was done, attendees started singing happy birthday to Trump near the stage.#politicization #dictatorship #authoritarianism #AmericanAutocracy
(DIR) Post #Av9oZIRsOiPTMgrRyK by Nonilex@masto.ai
2025-06-15T14:31:30Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
Even before the speech component, the C-SPAN feed gave off a vibe that alternated between #military recruitment video & softcore #Trump #propaganda. Videoplayed several times of Trump giving speeches. Occasionally, a small banner popped up that said: “Video courtesy of America 250.”The nonprofit America 250, which is helping organize the ongoing publicly-funded campaign celebrating the country's semiquincentennial, has been taken over by Trump allies & one of his campaign operatives.
(DIR) Post #Av9odQJD7DaYtwm90S by Lizette603_23@mastodon.social
2025-06-15T14:32:13Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Nonilex I can't imagine the psychosis necessary to be a supporter of this sack of shit
(DIR) Post #Av9odrw8OblcaUC6vQ by _L1vY_@mstdn.social
2025-06-15T14:32:19Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
My only question is, was he recently watching Galaxy Quest? Or Toy Story? 😂@Nonilex
(DIR) Post #Av9oooyPkm2aaBU1FQ by Nonilex@masto.ai
2025-06-15T14:34:16Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
#CorporateAmerica did its part. “Special thanks to our sponsor #LockheedMartin,”the MC said ~6:30PM, shouting out America's biggest #defense contractor. The MC later thanked “our special sponsor Coinbase,”the #cryptocurrency exchange. #Trump sure loves #crypto he reported in his financial disclosure Friday that he made $57 million in the final months of 2024 after he and his family launched their own crypto exchange, #WorldLibertyFinancial. (That was before he launched his own $TRUMP #memecoin.)
(DIR) Post #Av9oqHmW8BawDdcIq0 by _L1vY_@mstdn.social
2025-06-15T14:34:35Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
⬆️ The "crucible" section ABSOLUTELY a passage created by ChatGPT. Not even a question. 😂@Nonilex
(DIR) Post #Av9ox99waPrTVMqVrE by Nonilex@masto.ai
2025-06-15T14:35:50Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
Around 7PM, the big screens onstage that displayed the American flags turned to logos for #UFC, the mixed martial arts business. Later, the MC thanked “special sponsor #Palantir,” a contractor hired to help #Trump compile data on Americans across federal agencies.#Military handed out drinks from sponsor#PhormEnergy - a new beverage by #AnheuserBusch & UFC CEO #DanaWhite, in the flavor Screamin' Freedom.#commercialization #dictatorship #authoritarianism #AmericanAutocracy
(DIR) Post #Av9pDlU5rXzH08C9GS by Nonilex@masto.ai
2025-06-15T14:38:45Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
…The #military parade was overseen by the American commander-in-chief as he conducts a militarized crackdown on #immigrants in #LosAngeles, #California, driving #protests. He sent in #NationalGuard troops & #Marines not because their presence is necessary to keep the peace, but as a show of #force - & as a test run for operations in other #states & #cities, should #Trump feel angry enough to launch them, likely #illegally.#politicization #dictatorship #authoritarianism #AmericanAutocracy
(DIR) Post #Av9pMAC1se6fwykZwO by ariaflame@masto.ai
2025-06-15T14:40:10Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Nonilex He has, at maximum, maybe 2 million troops. While he wants to give the appearance of strength, he doesn't have the manpower to do what he did in a tiny pocket of LA all over the country.
(DIR) Post #Av9pTitTGKvvbEfscy by Nonilex@masto.ai
2025-06-15T14:41:17Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
At 2,000 locations across the country, #protesters held a #NoKings Day to voice their anger toward #Trump. About 20,000 people gathered in downtown #LosAngeles, undeterred by law enforcement's use of non-lethal weapons on earlier #protests & the president's escalation by sending in #troops.#law #democracy #FreeSpeech #FreedomOfAssembly #RightToProtest #PosseComitatusAct #dictatorship #authoritarianism #AmericanAutocracy
(DIR) Post #Av9pqQkyrSkc0dWysC by jonberger@sfba.social
2025-06-15T14:45:46Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Nonilex Wow. UFC. Damn. I assumed it would be bad, but I never thought it would be THAT bad. Of course, I could say the same about both Trump presidencies.
(DIR) Post #Av9pqrCsWMW02gmcy0 by Nonilex@masto.ai
2025-06-15T14:45:55Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
…For an event that shut down much of central #DC, closed roads, & reportedly cost up to $45M, the promise of a #display of America's #military might—that just coincidentally happened to fall on #Trump's birthday—didn't exactly draw out legions of his fans. Instead, the crowd of supporters, servicemembers, curious locals, & military-adjacent spectators who braved the oppressive heat & humidity of a post-thunderstorm DC managed to just fill out their allotted…[space], w/ PLENTY of room to spare.
(DIR) Post #Av9pvqwGwbQcexOk7c by Nonilex@masto.ai
2025-06-15T14:46:49Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
In front of the central stage, a crowd befitting a midsize concert gathered in view of Jumbotrons. The lawns surrounding the Washington monument - which have hosted countless inaugurations, protests, concerts, & gatherings - were largely unused overflow space.#politicization #Trump #dictatorship #authoritarianism #AmericanAutocracy
(DIR) Post #Av9pzNltKWFbMBE2qW by geonz@mathstodon.xyz
2025-06-15T14:47:24Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Nonilex Hmmm. 50 x 40 is 2000. So, average 40 NoKings events per state. Yes, sounds about right. FORTY in EACH STATE. Also sounds like a lot.
(DIR) Post #Av9pzTUk3C676jFQwq by WhisperingHek@mastodon.social
2025-06-15T14:47:25Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Nonilex 'Have a great life,' he knows he's about to start wwiii
(DIR) Post #Av9q40E8IMmFmaddZY by Nonilex@masto.ai
2025-06-15T14:48:17Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
When the TV broadcast showed the crowd risers along the parade route, they were sparsely filled. The NPS issued permits for 250k people for the National Mall festival & the #military parade. An aerial parade of historic military aircraft flew above the National Mall, traversing a course from the Lincoln Memorial to the Washington Memorial that—despite clear anticipation of crowds by event organizers—was more empty field & food truck line than crowd.#Trump #loser #AmericanAutocracy
(DIR) Post #Av9qLplfv7BCYbpWlc by Nonilex@masto.ai
2025-06-15T14:51:31Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
Though rock music blared on TV, the parade itself was eerily quiet. One video posted on X shows tanks squeaking past nearly silent crowds, sounding like a grocery cart in need of grease.In the weeks leading up to his #birthday & the parade, #Trump told close associates that #protesters were going to try to overshadow the #military parade, including in media coverage, in #DC & elsewhere, & that he was determined not to let that happen…#vanity #dictatorship #authoritarianism #AmericanAutocracy
(DIR) Post #Av9qNsnrbdOKYApZJI by Eetschrijver@mastodon.social
2025-06-15T14:51:50Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Nonilex A lot of what I saw could have been the intro to a low-budget porn movie.
(DIR) Post #Av9qPRTKC5b8MYy2GO by ArmyGirl@mastodon.world
2025-06-15T14:52:07Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Nonilex greenwood looked half dead
(DIR) Post #Av9qcrLdIbnyNdldmi by Nonilex@masto.ai
2025-06-15T14:54:35Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
The made-for-TV #military parade looked expensive—but not necessarily impressive. Meanwhile, MILLIONS of people reportedly participated in #NoKings parades Saturday across the country.#Trump #vanity #dictatorship #authoritarianism #AmericanAutocracy
(DIR) Post #Av9qj6podGtg9Jri3k by Nonilex@masto.ai
2025-06-15T14:55:43Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
As the #DC #military parade took place, hundreds of #protesters stood outside the federal building in downtown #LosAngeles. People had been dancing around, before hundreds of cops circled the 4-block square without warning or announcement, leading to a tense stand-off, acc/to a Rolling Stone reporter on the ground. #FlashBang #grenades went off, & police used #TearGas & smoke grenades to clear protesters.#Trump #law #democracy #FreeSpeech #FreedomOfAssembly #RightToProtest #AmericanAutocracy
(DIR) Post #Av9qqUVn050tbq1BQm by cafechatnoir@mastodon.social
2025-06-15T14:57:01Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Nonilex Couldn't be happier that it was a spectacular failure.
(DIR) Post #Av9r0WsJ4KbfpnKwsq by Steve@social.coop
2025-06-15T14:58:49Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Nonilex In round figures, it looks like 100 people turned out to protest Trump for every person who turned out to support him. From what I gather, even the soldiers in the parade themselves were not there to support Trump.
(DIR) Post #Av9u18QhjzDeAfPHBA by spocko@mastodon.online
2025-06-15T15:32:03Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Nonilex Here's the video of the squeaking tank going past nearly silent crowds in half empty stands. #Trump #Birthday #Military Parade in #DC
(DIR) Post #Av9uk2KbGGXYHvxiBE by ChrisHolladay@mastodon.social
2025-06-15T15:39:39Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Nonilex Just like his pathetic rallies
(DIR) Post #Av9uusE7Acdw8Q61Mu by ChrisHolladay@mastodon.social
2025-06-15T15:42:31Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Nonilex Fucking moron
(DIR) Post #AvA0OJSdUbpUljkHHU by CindyWeinstein@zirk.us
2025-06-15T16:43:56Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Nonilex He thinks he's talking to Epstein about an adolescent girl.
(DIR) Post #AvA12DwdQ9pjFCoAW8 by albnelson@beige.party
2025-06-15T16:51:11Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Nonilex so hot
(DIR) Post #AvA1QYWwXGu62VOSTQ by gleick@mas.to
2025-06-15T16:55:34Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Nonilex Your lede is considerably better than the one in the NYT.
(DIR) Post #AvA5dM04piXql8NXCi by Greengordon@spore.social
2025-06-15T17:42:34Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Nonilex Who wrote this rubbish?“No matter the obstacles, our warriors will charge into battle. They will plunge into the crucible of fire, & they will seize the crown of victory..."
(DIR) Post #AvA67N7BFn06u50z9E by Greengordon@spore.social
2025-06-15T17:48:08Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Nonilex I bet the soldiers were REALLY happy to be marketing props."#Military handed out drinks from sponsor"
(DIR) Post #AvARoEOXeFQ3LfPhtQ by huntingdon@mstdn.social
2025-06-15T21:51:09Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Nonilex If Trump admits his Stalinist Birthday Parade cost $45 million, who thinks it actually cost that, and not much more?
(DIR) Post #AvBYrcslxCy909509g by Anonomouse1981@mstdn.social
2025-06-16T10:44:55Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Nonilex "It's what plants crave"- Idiotocracy-😪
(DIR) Post #AvBa9pkYx2Gu4mUAHg by diverdutch@mastodon.social
2025-06-16T10:59:23Z
0 likes, 0 repeats
@Nonilex I have not seen an estimate of numbers for the parade attendees...? Just "sparse crowd" type language. Has anyone other than the orange baboon mentioned any numbers?