I was on almost exactly the same place 20 years ago for the 50th anniversary parade. The big difference, though, was political. Back then, it was a kind of good news story. Look at these big baskets of grain and fruit; China is getting more prosperous. But this time, what was really extraordinary, and it fits with the new leader of China since the last time I was at one of these parades,. Xi Jinping has basically decided that the Communist Party is strongest when it simply doesn't admit to any mistakes in its past at all.