A Tale of Two Parades

After more than two decades, Washington wants to splurge on a flag-waving, chest-thumping military parade this year. Usually held on a more moderate scale on occasions such as the Fourth of July, Veterans Day and Memorial Day, the last grand parade was a "victory celebration" over the first Gulf War in 1991. Nearly 200,000 spectators watched 8,000 troops march past along with Navy and Marine bands performing loudly, and jets and helicopters flying overhead. Ever since assuming office, President Trump has wished to revive traditions like the parade as a symbolic statement of "America First." Having a grand parade was mulled over even at the time of the Trump inaugural ceremony, but displaying military equipment on the occasion was considered somewhat incongruous by the organizing committee. At that time, domestic critics worried it might send out an excessively "authoritarian" message instead of being simply a tribute to the military, so the plan was quashed. However, it seems plans to hold a mega-parade may already be underway. Things have changed since Trump's short stop-over in France on the occasion of Bastille Day and the centenary of the First World War. Overwhelmed by the grand celebrations he witnessed, the President declared on Twitter that, "It was one of the greatest parades I've ever seen, it was two hours on the button, and it was military might, and I think a tremendous thing for France and for the spirit of France." Thus encouraged, he has announced, "We're going to have to try to top it." Consequently, the once unlikely prospect of the American military marching down Pennsylvania Avenue again in all splendor is soon to become a reality, even though it smacks of engaging in a "competition" with the French military. As far as France's Bastille Day is concerned, there's a tremendous amount of history behind it, an anti-monarchist movement that brought about the downfall of a decadent monarch, Louis XVI, on July 14, 1789. To this day, the event retains an emotional appeal and remains immensely popular among the French people who turn out in massive numbers to watch. Against all odds, this occasion even survived the two world wars, as well as the German occupation during WWII. Even though the occasion has become a lasting symbol of French unity, it is also used as a friendly international gesture, as foreign troops are often invited to participate. Thus, it is widely felt that matching Bastille Day is not going to be an easy task, and many critics in the U.S. and abroad have already dismissed the possibility. Following this debate regarding the Bastille Day parade and the imminent Fourth of July parade must be keeping the French as entertained these days. As Sylvie Kauffmann from Le Monde has written: "For the record: France's Bastille Day military parade is an old tradition, going back to 1880. Its longevity and popularity have many historical reasons, probably different from Trump's motivations." Considering the amount of discussion and hype the Bastille Day parade has evoked in the U.S., organizing a better parade is now a challenge for the Trump administration. Promising to be an expensive affair at a time when the Pentagon is faced with budget management issues, there is no wriggling out of this proposition now. Acknowledging that a military parade will be held this year on the Fourth of July, Defense Secretary James Mattis said, "We're all aware in this country of the President's affection and respect for the military. We've been putting together some options. We'll send them up to the White House for a decision." Since then, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford has also mentioned that other options are being considered such as having the parade on November 11, which this year marks the centenary of the end of the first world war , it all depends on a suitable location, costs and logistics. At the end of the day, having military parades is nothing new in the United States as they were always held on a smaller, less grandiose scale in small towns and cities in most parts of the country; in fact, ceremonies are also held to honor martyrs and local veterans by many communities. This just happens to be a larger parade than has been seen in Washington for some considerable time. Adding to this is the fact that Trump wants a parade with more pomp, pageantry and ceremony, this has started a political controversy. Once held, it might be a success and go down very well among the common people and blue-collar working class that fill Trump's vote-bank. There is no harm really in wanting a larger parade and if well-received, it might become an annual feature eventually. It all really depends on the underlying motive. Sabena Siddiqui (Twitter: @sabena_siddiqi) is a foreign affairs journalist and lawyer based in Pakistan. China.org.cn