Words We're Watching: What About "Whataboutism?"

What About "Whataboutism?"
If everyone is guilty of something, is no one guilty of anything?

https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/whataboutism-origin-meaning

Some of the terms we use to describe political rhetoric are as old as politics itself (see ad hominem attacks, or such devices as synecdoche, metonymy, or zeugma). Others are more recent additions, driven by the evolution of the news cycle (like fake news and dog whistles).

But hey, aren’t we ignoring a bigger subject here? How can we talk about rhetorical devices and not mention whataboutism?

Essentially a reversal of accusation, arguing that an opponent is guilty of an offense just as egregious or worse

Whataboutism gives a clue to its meaning in its name. It is not merely the changing of a subject ("What about the economy?" ) to deflect away from an earlier subject as a political strategy; it’s essentially a reversal of accusation, arguing that an opponent is guilty of an offense just as egregious or worse than what the original party was accused of doing, however unconnected the offenses may be.

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The association of whataboutism with the Soviet Union began during the Cold War. As the regimes of Josef Stalin and his successors were criticized by the West for human rights atrocities, the Soviet propaganda machine would be ready with a comeback alleging atrocities of equal reprehensibility for which the West was guilty.



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Before the 2016 presidential election, more instances of whataboutism applied to criticism among regimes than between individual politicians:

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The term is seeing a bit of a renaissance in our current political climate. Philip Bump writes in The Washington Post that President Donald Trump has utilized whataboutism frequently as a way of deflecting criticism for his actions, such as his pardon of former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio.

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Time will tell if whataboutism can persuade its way into the language, but its recent upswing in usage suggests it may have staying power. At least until someone changes the subject.

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Much more at link.