What Trump wanted vs what he got at yesterday's military parade:

Apparently Trump didn't follow the proper protocol for military parade routes in DC:

Erik Ledbetter
@bandoblue.bsky.social

Some thoughts about the military parade in my hometown of Washington DC today -- specifically, the route. Military parades in DC are quite rare. But when they happen, they have always begun, symbolically and geographically, at the Capitol and moved outward. 1/

The first mass parade, celebrating Union Victory in the Civil War, followed the Inaugural procession route outwards down Pennsylvania Ave. WW1 and WW2 victory parades followed the same route. 2/

Much more somber were the interment marches for the remains of Unknowns from WW1, 2, Korea and Vietnam. These began with the Unknown lying in state in the Capitol rotunda, moved down Constitution zace along the Mall, and over the Memorial Bridge to Arling Cemetary on the hill to the west. 3/

The Gulf War victory parade followed the mourning route, a break with tradition. But it still began symbolically at the seat of the People's branch of government and moved outward. Symbolically, this encodes many mutually reinforcing meetings. 4/

Among them: the military arises from the citizenry and serves the citizenry, that the citizens are thanking and welcoming the Army back to home and civic life (symbolically and often practically, these are demobilizing parades), 5/

And that (on the mourning route) we proceed from the people's thanks in their Hall past places of memory to places of eternal rest and thanks. 6/

But the symbolizing is always that having called on and drawn a military from the Citizenry, the nation is returning the servicememebers to the citizenry, or sending them to rest, with its thanks. 7/

The parade today by contrast moves west to east, outside to in. It starts at the Pentagon not Arlington National Cemetary. It follows the symbolic route of troops entering to quell or occupy the city, not leaving with love and thanks. 8/

And it ends at the White House not the Capitol. Symbolically it the route is troops called from the Barracks/General Staff to render obeisance to the King, while demonstrating how the King can call in troops to awe the cities. 9/

The symbolism is rich, robust, and deeply un-American.

Asha Rangappa
@asharangappa.bsky.social

There must be an office or someone at DoD who understands the symbolism and protocol of parade routes, so this has to be deliberate. The Secretary of the Army ought to be asked about this