B. Kidd
Diamond Member
There will be about 250k protesters out today in London and there will be regional protests around the UK.
I have never seen anything like it although the visit of the Chinese leader caused a lot of disruption a few years back.
But the US is our ally and Presidential visits have never generated this level of hostility. Obama was treated like a rockstar and even Bush Jnr was given the respect he probably didnt deserve.
So why this time ?
Firstly forget about any Dem/Gop partisanship. Very few people over here have any interest in that relationship. Not enough to take a day off work anyway.
Its not really anti Americanism either although there will be some elements their. People dont like Americas oil wars or their propping up Israel. But again that is nothing new, it has always been there.
In the UK we watch American films,listen to American music and our cultures are heavily influenced by the US.
The issue is Trump himself. He is seen as a living breathing manifestation of everything wrong with humanity. Misogyny , racism, greed,lying, cheating, narcissism, I could go on.
These are the key issues that I think are driving the protests.
1. Climate change. The US should be leading on this but Trump is in the pocket of fossil fuel interests. This affects all of us and is huge.
2. Womens rights. Abortion is only an issue in Northern Ireland which is at least a generation behind modern Britain.People can see hard fought rights being taken away from their sisters in the US by right wing loons.The fear is that what happens in the US today comes to Europe tomorrow.
3. Racism. The Muslim ban shocked folk over here. We all have Muslim friends . Singling out one group for special treatment has been tried before and is Un American.
4. The NHS. People are terrified that a post brexit deal with the US will introduce the more barbaric elements of US healthcare into the UK. Trump wants it and our government would do anything to get a deal with the US. Scary times.
I am sure there are other issues but these seem to be the main ones. The good news is that it will all go away with Trump and it will be business as usual with his successor. The bad news is that liberal values are under threat across the world. We havent moved on too much from the gas chambers.
I know he has a strong personal base. I can imagine how they will react to this post. I am just trying to explain why the US President is so hated in the UK.
Only a little less than 1/2 your people hate him; the 1/2 that came up short in your Brexit referendum.
I bet my life savings that YOU want a do-over just like Democrat Yankee pigs want one here.