PERFORMATIVE JINGOISM DOESN'T CONFER IMMUNITY

The administration of our eleven-year-old president is laser-focused on saving lives:

The Pentagon is planning a multicity tour of the U.S. military’s top flight demonstration teams to “champion national unity” amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to defense officials and a memo obtained by The Washington Post.

The Blue Angels and the Thunderbirds, the demonstration squadrons for the Navy and Air Force, will fly over some cities together and others separately, according to the memo. The flyovers will take place in the next several weeks “to thank first responders, essential personnel, and military service members as we collectively battle the spread of COVID-19.”

The mission, named Operation America Strong, was conceived by senior military officers in the Pentagon....

Bullshit. The mission was not "conceived by senior military officers in the Pentagon." It was conceived either by the president himself or by people in his White House who know precisely what gives him a thrill up his leg. (If they could throw him a military parade under the current circumstances, I'm sure they would. I bet he's asked whether it's possible.) This also dovetails nicely with the president's "never appeal to anyone outside the Fox News/talk radio core demographic" reelection strategy (which, to be fair, could actually manage to net him an Electoral College victory).

My favorite part of this story:

The appearances will not feature air-show stunts, and the teams will avoid flying over areas where people can congregate, [a] senior [military] official said....

They're not planning to do this where large numbers of people can see them? Really? Then what the hell is the point? Why would you have flyovers where people can't see them?

Oh, I get it: The whole point of this is to provide footage for Trump campaign ads. Well, all righty, then.