President Donald Trump’s plans for a military parade make as much sense as his plans for a border wall. According to him, both would be beautiful displays of American might.

Many of us can remember the military parades in Moscow’s Red Square featuring troops, tanks and missiles passing in review as scowling Soviet leaders looked on. Will there be a reviewing stand so that the president can proudly wave? Will the crowd of onlookers exceed the countless millions who came to his inauguration?

Many of us can also remember the words of President Ronald Reagan when he went to West Berlin. He said “Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall.” That was a stirring request during the Cold War. The Berlin Wall was an indelible image of a regime suspicious of its own people.

Just what image will an umpteen-billion-dollar, southern border wall convey to the rest of the world? And remember how effective the Maginot Line was. Not every illegal crosses the border on foot. Will a wall stop airplanes and ships?

Federal funding should not be wasted on parades and walls, especially in the wake of the tax cut bill that will deepen the country’s debt.

Edward Walworth, Lewiston