Great job America, however....

I may be the last to say it, but to the millions of bold Americans who peacefully took to the streets and roads of where you live in this country to defiantly proclaim “NO Kings” on June 14th, a heartfelt congratulations. All of you collectively made your point about no longer putting up with the daily madness coming from the Trump Administration.

You came out in strong numbers, perhaps the largest day of mass protests in American history, and your turnout was so impressive, so pronounced, that it clearly overshadowed that $45 million, poorly organized, sparsely attended, so-called military “birthday party” for King TACO.

It was so poorly attended, with so much empty space, especially near the Washington Monument, late night comedian Stephen Colbert renamed it “MAGA - Make America Grass Again.” Colbert also pointed out how our troops were forced to march past empty bleachers. And with so few people there, there was no cheering, making the squeaky tanks from a museum quite noticeable.

In short, there was more yawning, than people, which was a shame.

Rolling Stone magazine called Trump’s ego-driven debacle a “gross failure,” and from what I heard and saw, that was high praise.

King TACO was even photographed grim-faced, and falling asleep. As far as our troops involved in the parade was concerned, there was no goose stepping! Why? Because this is America, NOT North Korea or NAZI Germany!

And get this, the damn thing had commercial sponsors, who interrupted the slow proceedings to sell their stuff! What a grift.

The Independent reported:

The darker military parades that have become synonymous with tyrannical regimes around the world don’t take breaks for corporate sponsors, nor do they sell pretzels, or have cooling tents.

One lady told The Independent,“It sickens me that we're putting on this display just for one man's ego. I have no problems with the Army having a celebration. What I do have a problem with is the implication that this is more about Trump and military might, than it is about the 250th anniversary of people who fought and died for our country.”

Well said, my patriotic sister.

No offense to our brave men and women of the U.S. Army who proudly marched primarily to pay tribute to the great legacy of their important branch of our powerful military services, and also to honor their fallen brothers and sisters from wars and conflicts past, but there’s a reason why this country hasn’t had a military parade through the streets of our nation’s capitol since June, 1991 and our victory in the Gulf War.

Because there was no unifying event for every American to celebrate and be proud of. 

Sure the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army was important, but without a hard-fought victory to justify the display, it was really just a couple of hours watching Trump dribble on himself while soldier after soldier, squeaky tank after squeaky tank, and armored vehicle after armored vehicle, passed in front of him and his “DUI” hire, the oft times, utterly non-brilliant Fox News reject, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Everybody knew what the real deal was, King TACO’s 79th birthday, and it BORED them to death. As well it should.

But back to the peaceful NO Kings demonstrations, officially estimated at over 5 million people across about 2,100 communities in the United States.

As promised, folks showed up, and showed out, with some of the sassiest, snarkiest, and pointedly on point protest signs this side of a King TACO birthday party!

Here are just some of the best of the best:

IF YOU'RE NOT RESISTING, YOU'RE ASSISTING!

(MAGA) MONSTERS ARE GOVERNING AMERICA!

IF THERE’S MONEY FOR A PARADE, THERE’S MONEY FOR MEDICAID!

HATE NEVER MADE AMERICA GREAT!

ALEXA, CHANGE THE PRESIDENT, PLEASE!

And the one that had me helplessly chuckling for hours…

UNPAID PROTESTER - I HATE HIS ASS FOR FREE!!

Mind you, all of these brilliant signs were just from the Triangle. I’m certain there were tons more cutting pieces of wisdom at the other over 2,000 NO Kings demonstrations across the nation.

So you did well, America! Just like I said you would.

So well that the corrupt White House we're all forced to live with couldn't bare the No Kings Day success, and falsely claimed afterwards that it was a "complete and utter failure."

The fact that the White House, which also fraudulently estimated their crappola King TACO birthday bash drew 250,000, is lying through their collective teeth, means that after the success of NO Kings Day, they're scared.

Well guess what, scared, corrupt White House. NO Kings was such an "utter failure" that organizers have already planned to do it again on July 17th. The next one will take a page from the words of the late, but still great Congressman John Lewis, and will be called, according to spokesperson Barbara Arnwine with Transformative Justice Coalition, "Good Trouble Lives On - a national day of action." " We're going to make good trouble because good trouble lives on and we will not stop until we win: no kings, no tyrants, no despots," she proclaimed.

I can't wait!

However…

…amidst Kim Jong Don’s birthday parade buffoonery, and the nation’s strong demonstration of disgust over it, comes the frightening realization that all of that flexing of military muscle last week in Los Angeles to put down anti-immigration enforcement protests, shameful political posturing in front of our troops at Fort Bragg here in North Carolina, getting deeply involved in the Israel-Iran military conflict (that is ohhh so close to all out war, with Trump running his mouth about killing Iranian leaders and "there's no place to hide") and finally the parading of military might for the world to see last Saturday, is the realization that Trump has now become way too comfortable not only with the idea, but the practice of wielding the United States military against its own citizens and elsewhere at the drop of a MAGA Hat.

Add to that, according to a recent piece in The Atlantic magazine, is that the American military may eventually embrace the idea of being Trump’s personal fighting muscle to do whatever, wherever, and the very thought of all of that should scare the life out of all of us who hold freedom dear.

This edited excerpt from the Radio Atlantic podcast, and its recent episode featuring hostess Hanna Rosin, and staff writer Tom Nichols:

NICHOLS - He very much wants those soldiers to [hear], “Remember, I am your only defender. I am the strong man who loves you. America hates you.” And that is poisonous. It is a repudiation of everything that people from George Washington to George Marshall to Brent Scowcroft to others have always stood for in serving this country, either in civilian roles or as military leaders.

That’s how other countries fall into civil war and chaos and mayhem, is that the military becomes—when you politicize the military, the military becomes an independent actor. And it says, There’s Republicans. There’s Democrats. There’s rural. There’s city. And there’s us. And we are an interest group. And we are an independent group with an independent say in who runs this country. And you don’t want the military saying, Oh, the election next year? That’ll be interesting, but we get a veto.

Trump and his people want to acclimate Americans to the sight of the U.S. military in their streets, which is one of the most un-American things, going all the way back to the Founders, who had a deep suspicion of a standing army.

We honor the people who serve in our military. We value them. We cherish them. But no, we don’t want them driving Humvees, you know, through the streets of D.C. every day.

ROSIN - Governor Gavin Newsom says he didn’t ask for help [when Trump sent in thousands of National Guard and Marines] and said the L.A. police could handle [the ICE raid protests]. Why do you think [Trump] sent the troops then?

NICHOLS: Specifically to show that Gavin Newsom is not in charge of the state of California, and that [Mayor]Karen Bass is not in charge of the city of Los Angeles. It’s a very dramatic way of saying, All power in this country belongs to me, Donald Trump, and if I see something in Los Angeles I don’t like, I don’t care who the people of California elected—they mean nothing—I’m going to call out the Army because I can, and I want to establish that I can.

Folks, we’re seriously down the rabbit hole here looking up. We have a madman at the wheel who is not worried about the next presidential election, because there will be no “next” presidential election if he and his maniacal henchmen follow-through with what they’re planning.

If you’re Trump, 79 years of age and in power, you’re scheming to stay in power for the rest of your life. Not just a measly three years. And if Trump physically is unable to stay in power in the next three years when he's age 82, he’s already set it up for someone just as maniacal as he is to takeover then.

That means the U.S. military has to know who its daddy is between now and then. As you know, there’s already talk of Trump taking Greenland by force, turning Gaza into a rich man’s paradise, and maybe Canada. Lord knows what else is coming down the pike.

But for all of this to work, Trump has to start tuning up the military….OUR military….NOW, so that it’s reoriented and ready to be his personal military force.

Trump has loyalists running the Dept. of Justice, Dept. of Defense, Homeland Security, the FBI, and the Dept of Health and Human Services, to name a few, ALL doing his bidding no matter what the courts say. Please don’t think that what I’ve posited here is beyond possibility.

Indeed, it’s happening as you read this!

Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA), who was manhandled by thug ICE agents at a press conference because he just wanted to ask a question of Homeland Security Sec. Kristi Noem, warns that the nation is "on the path towards fascism."

Only time will tell.

So great job last weekend, America, however, I hope and pray that you’re getting ready to fight for the very soul of your country!

For your children’s sake, you better be!!!

As the NO Kings demonstrator's dead-on sign said, IF YOU'RE NOT RESISTING, YOU'RE ASSISTING!!!