Especially on the Internet—but also in the real world of politics—whataboutism has become the standard approach to denigrating a valid argument or criticism. Rather than address the point head-on, people simply accuse the other side of failing to care about something the accuser claims they should have cared about but didn’t. Or, if the other side did care, the accuser just pretends they didn’t in order to prove that they’re hypocrites.
What About?
Ted Rall
Ted Rall is a syndicated political cartoonist for Andrews McMeel Syndication and WhoWhatWhy.org and Counterpoint. He is a contributor to Centerclip and co-host of "The TMI Show" talk show. He is a graphic novelist and author of many books of art and prose, and an occasional war correspondent. He is, recently, the author of the graphic novel "2024: Revisited."
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The “whataboutism” works the other way, too. Example:
Person 1: Trump is using the presidency to enrich himself and his family. It’s treason!!!!!1!
Person 2: You know, Nancy Pelosi has made so much money in the stock market since she first got to Congress that, mathematically speaking, it’s almost a certainty she’s engaging in insider trad …
Person 1 (Very Upset!!!!1!): Shut up! You need to shut up! This isn’t about Nancy Pelosi. It’s about Donald Trump. Breaking the law. To make a lot of money! Why don’t you marry him if you love him so much? How can you be so stupid?
Until we arrive at a politics in which guilty is guilty, regardless of party, and not tolerated, the rich Trumps and the rich Pelosis — and all their enablers from the Biden admin who propped up a senile old man to retain their access to power and privilege — will continue to keep going to the bank. Laughing all the way.
I hope everyone’s Thanksgiving was nice.
Yes, we need to stop the Trumps, Pelosis, and the many more politicians who exploit their positions to steal from the rest of us.
However, politically propping up inferior elected officials — by which I mean anyone I didn’t happily vote for — isn’t a crime. It’s first amendment stuff that we embrace because the alternatives are worse.
As someone who has been repeatedly accused of “whataboutism” by Democrats and Republicans alike for pointing out flaws in their logic, their lack of evidence, or their outright hypocrisy, I’m not sure what to make of this one.