Critics argue that large-scale military parades—tanks, flyovers, federal troops—are hallmarks of authoritarian regimes (think Moscow or Pyongyang), not liberal democracies. they argue but what will they say around 6 pm eastern time June 14? Trump has more nations firing missiles at each other than most presidents other than FDR, Harry Truman,
My Experience with Autocracy
My first trip to the Soviet Union was in 1981. This was my first trip abroad. After landing in Moscow, I was walking in the snow in Red Square. I would return to Moscow more than 20 times over the next two decades. When I was walking in Red Square, the USSR was a one-party autocracy. One day in September 1983, I saw how a dictatorship affects people’s lives. I attended, with other delegates of the AHP/Soviet Exchange Project,1 a synagogue in Moscow on Yom Kippur. It was there that I met many “refuseniks. You probably know a refusenik is a Soviet citizen who applied for an exit visa, only to be refused.
These were brave people. Here they were in front their synagogue among men wearing leather jackets trying to fool us. They were KGB agents. A few refuseniks I spoke with were teachers and professors as well as other professionals. They all lost their jobs. They had to depend on an extended family for survival. But they inspired me. One young man told me was secretly teaching children Hebrew and Yiddish. They had an attitude of not only hope but they were not afraid of KGB agents. Eventually, only after the political changes fueled by Gorbachev, did they get an exit visa. Most refuseniks moved to Israel.
In the late 80s and into the late 90s, the country was a fledgling democracy. The psychological freedom that I saw in so many of my Russian friends during this time was exhilarating. A mathematics teacher in St. Petersburg told me that he signed a contract with a publisher in Paris for his first book of poetry. He said this never would have happened a few years earlier.
Other Russian friends began making plans to travel abroad. I arranged joint research projects with Soviet research institutes. I also brought hundreds of Russian teachers to Atlanta and other cities in the state. We reciprocated by bringing hundreds of teachers and students (ages 14 to 18) to the Soviet Union, and Russia.
From Boris Yeltsin to Vladimir Putin
However, at the end of the 1990s, an unknown figure by the name of Vladimir Putin became Prime Minister. When Yeltsin stepped down as president, Putin got the job. Russia soon was under an autocracy. He launched two vicious war against the Chechen Republic in 1994 to 1996, and 1999 to 2009. After winning his first election, he violated and changed laws. These changes reduced freedom of the press, free speech, as well as free and open elections. Most autocrats are elected, but they use strongman tactics to control the press, the parliament, the military, and judiciary.
I was never in Moscow for one of their military parades. But, I was there for some of their celebrations of their victory against the Nazi’s. This would be the Monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad located in victory square. I’ve visited this monument on each visit.
But now you an I live in a county with a cruel and unliked president. He unlawfully impedes people’s right to protest. He inflicts violence on what were peaceful demonstrations in Los Angeles. He also does this in Portland, Atlanta, New York, Chicago, and other cities.he constantly lies and is free to dehumanized people of color, the disadvantaged, people living in poverty, and.LGBTQ+
Trump’s parade is a form of “dictator cosplay.” It is aligned with his birthday and coincides with deployments in Los Angeles. This signals a disturbing shift from tradition to spectacle. But, we still live in a democracy. Millions of people in the United States will join in one of more than 1800 ‘No Kings Protests.’
Politicization and Militarization of the Armed Forces
Deploying federal troops in defiance of state governors (e.g., California) and mobilizing Marines for domestic protest responses raises alarms about the executive using the military for political leverage. As The Atlantic podcast warns, this will shift how the military perceives its role, undermining its apolitical, constitutional purpose.
Cost and Public Backlash
With a projected $25–45 million price tag, polls show around 60% of Americans believe the parade is a waste. This is especially worrisome when promised cuts to veterans’ services and infrastructure are in play. Even some Republicans openly question its necessity.Many republicans have come up with novel reasons why they will visiting long lost cousins, and prior commitments. And some congressional folks were not invited because hey pissed off Dear Leader.
A Broader Pattern of Democratic Backsliding
Experts highlight a worrying trend across multiple Trump-era actions. These include executive overreach and the misuse of emergency powers. There are also concerns about political appointments and the blurring of constitutional boundaries. The parade reinforces this pattern, raising genuine concerns about U.S. democracy slipping into something more centralized or unbalanced.
Public Resistance and Democratic Resilience
The nationwide “No Kings” protests—planned in over 2,000 cities—show widespread resistance. These demonstrations underscore that many Americans view this as a test of democratic systems, not a celebration of them.
Is Today Day One of Autocracy?
No—we’re not in full-blown autocracy. The institutions (courts, Congress, state governments) are actively responding and pushing back. But this parade, especially when paired with troop deployments and norm-bending behavior, represents a symbolic turning point. Democratic traditions risk giving way to a politics of power and spectacle.
That’s why voices from retired military leaders to constitutional scholars consider it a provocative signal. They view it as a potential opening salvo in democratic erosion, rather than just a birthday celebration.
Trump’s parade is more than pomp.
It’s a political display that:
- Evokes authoritarian theatrics—nearly every day
- Risks politicizing the military—has his sidekick, doing his duty.
- Sparks public and bipartisan concern—constant lying and cruelty of people who need our aid.
- Fits into a concerning pattern of power centralization—reducing the size of the Executive Branch
- Triggers civic pushback measured by protests—protests will expand as Trump continues his behavior.
So: is this “Day One” of American autocracy?
I’m not sure, but it’s a warning shot that demands vigilance to make certain democratic institutions stay robust and independent. Autocracy was on show at a Department of Homeland Security press conference on June 12. A sitting senator (Sen. Alex Padilla, CA) who identified himself and then asked if he could ask the Secretary (Kristi Noem) a question. Security forces rushed him, pushed him out of the room, and moved down a hall. There they subdued him, pushing him to his knees. He was then pushed down and handcuffed. Afterward, he was walked away. Noem lied on Fox News. She said that Senator lunged at her, and didn’t identify himself. These were both refuted by video images of the scene. It seems evident that Noem is a liar. She is cruel in the way she is going after immigrants. She is also targeting U.S. Senators. Who will be next?
The Army Parade
- This article describes the events, people, progress, and future of the AHP Soviet Exchange Project. Delegates on the first three trips were truly explorers. Without official invitation, they sought ways to form ties to prestigious institutes, universities, and schools in the Soviet Union. With each new meeting was the hope that this will lead to more lasting, satisfying, and in-depth relationships. The early visits set the stage for more organized and official relationships with Soviet colleagues and institutions. Strong ties were developed with colleagues in Moscow, Leningrad, and Tbilisi, and more recently in Tallinn, Vilnius, and Kiev. Two areas of collaboration with Soviets have emerged over the years: psychotherapy and humanistic education. AHP psychotherapists have worked with groups in six cities, demonstrating practice and discussing recent trends in humanistic psychology. The humanistic education focus has progressed through two official agreements. In the most recent one (1989), the AHP and Georgia State University signed a three-year agreement. They signed it with the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences. American and Soviet scholars and teachers would work together through a series of exchanges, writing conferences, and field testing. They aimed to develop teaching materials focusing on global thinking. The efforts of both sides will result in an international conference. It will be co-hosted by both sides in Leningrad during the summer of 1992.
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