why are lefties protesting trump not president (dictator) xi of china when he came here for a state visit despite in china many human rights violations

[silversfish]

i actually know the answer because xi is a leftist

Fantastic @nancydrawn.

I'm taking the day off work to protest - that's too too hard to understand, surely? I'm certainly not wealthy, though I am left of centre.

I consider Trump to be the greatest threat to world peace we've ever seen, and want to be able to say I did something, however small and ultimately pointless.

Marches don't usually get this kind of coverage, the BBC actually have a policy of not reporting on them until they're finished.

(That was in answer to @gaspode btw... And I meant greatest thread in my lifetime, before anyone invokes Godwin's law.)

Show me someone who uses the term "lefties" and I'll show you a Daily Mail reader someone incapable of thinking for themselves.

Please can you define lefties?

Conversely please explain @silversfish why Trump should be lauded when he makes stuff up and thinks it’s acceptable grab a woman’s “pussy”?

Hedwig86

Have you had a look what the uppers in Turkey are doing
Um people are being sacked and arrested in turkey he is quitely drawing all the powers away from judges and courts and even the military who clearly thought he was threat

Yeah, you lost me at “leftie.”

I clicked on the thread to say exactly this. Why don't people say 'righties' pejoratively? I've always wondered.

Nancy Excellent post.

YANBU - in fact, you're spot on.

I saw the Xi protests. I joined one (accidentally when I stated chatting from some banner holders). Most were Chinese.

Annual leave, flexi time, shift work, maternity leave, SAHP... there are many people who are neither stinking rich or unemployed who can manage to wangle a legitimate day off given enough notice

And yes, there were protests when Xi visited, three years ago. There's not a lot of point marching in the streets about him this week as he won't be here to see it.

I will be marching today. I’m not particularly ‘leftie’ - I left the Labour Party last year because I loathe Corbyn. I don’t normally go on protests, but Trump is such a threat to world stability, and so manifestly unfit to be president, that I felt I had to take part. I also dislike Xi, Erdogan etc, but Trump’s visit is inevitably going to attract more attention/protest because of the publicity around it.

Also, if you think the current leadership of China is in any way ‘leftie’, you need to get your head out of your arse.

Regarding Turkey, yes, some horrible things are going on there too right now, as the President makes a completely transparent, shameless grab for dictatorship. However, Turkey's ability to affect the rest of the world is very limited compared to the US's, given its far lesser role in a number of - practically all! - multilateral treaties and organisations. Turkey could collapse tomorrow and it would be horrible for its population and not much fun for the surrounding countries, but it wouldn't have anything like the same global effect as the US deciding to take its ball home. So why aren't we protesting about Erdogan this week? Oh yes, he isn't here either.

It's complex, obviously. China is "other" whilst US is supposed to be a lot like the UK. With Brexit, we're much more likely to be impacted by Trump and his ultra-hard right political cheerleaders than we are by China and their Communist ideology. Trump poses a much greater threat to our own rights than Xi does, and the principles of the US economy is a much bigger danger to our way of living than is that of China. Take the NHS - does anyone think Xi's economic policies are likely to significantly impact upon the NHS? I doubt it very much. Yet there is a very real concern that Trump will push for getting access to the NHS "market" for US medical companies.

In a simplistic "protect our own" view, Trump deserves much stronger criticism.

China and Turkey, and Saudi for that matter, have not turned up here and loudly commented on our internal business. How dare he?!

always wonder who all the protesters are - during a work/college day - wealthy people with family income who like to virtue signal their current leftieness? The professional dole claimants?

Yeah, that's a really tricky one to work out, isn't it?

Echoing many others

There were protests, i think there usually are to a greater or lesser extent

Of course there were protests.

Why are you protesting our right to protest. Why does this one upset you so much?

The people I know attending have taken the day out of their annual leave for this protest. That includes me. I fit into none of the categories suggested.

Imagine how big the protests would be if it were on a Saturday....

You need to read up on political horseshoe theory.

Far left and far right are much closer together than either of those compared with the centre.

Stalin being a good example of far left bring close to far right. Xi and the Chinese state is of similar build.

Your post is whataboutism at its best. There were protests for both, but neither Turkey nor China are close economic and political allies do it makes sense that when a close ally shocks people that they protest.

Just a troll. Best ignored to go play with itself

Op you are completely and utterly wrong

Maybe you are the one who is wrong.

I used to love MN for the quality of debate. Sometimes it would blow up but it was usually intelligent, reasoned, and interesting.

Might as well read the Daily Mail these days.

Maybe you are the one who is wrong.

Not really, given that OP started from an assumption which is factually incorrect.

Thank you, Annie. You got there before me. Well put.

Its just a troll sucking at your brain. Ignore

There were protests against the Chinese President. They were all over the news.