I’m so over this whataboutism nonsense!!! Although this blog is classed as “family lifestyle” I do tend to talk about world issues quite frequently. I figure it still counts as “family lifestyle” because as a detective and a journalist and just members of society, current affairs come up in conversations in our house a lot, so allow me to have a conversation about whataboutism
What is it? Whataboutism (also known as whataboutery) is a variant of the tu quoque logical fallacy that attempts to discredit an opponent’s position by charging them with hypocrisy without directly refuting or disproving their argument, which is particularly associated with Soviet and Russian propaganda.
Trump uses it a lot , but since I’m not a political expert here is a LINK to a reliable news source regarding Trump and this. However, the whataboutism that’s annoying me is closer to home.
Close, as in, my social media feed close. I am soooo tired of the fact that you are not allowed to support anything, or voice an opinion about anything, or be sad about anything, or pray about anything, or be upset about anything without the moral examiners coming in with their red pen of moral high-groundedness. Marking your opinion with a big’ol whatabout…
You pray for Libya people will be at you “whatabout Syria” as if you can’t be into apples without hating pears. People don’t a flip know if your aunt lives in Libya or your uncle in Israel but if you chose to “pray for” any country best believe you will get a big’ol whatabout. I never do the “pray for” thing, I prefer to literally IRL pray for/donate to/talk about things that matter to me, but I sure as heck won’t be side eyeing your “prayer” because you are saying “save the rhino” while our penguins go extinct.
The most whataboutary I see comes to news stories and race. For the love of all that’s good and holy, can we look at a news story about a black child killed without saying whatabout the farm murders. Can we admit that it’s very possible that a boy beat up after being called the K word and criticized for dancing with a white girl is quite possibly racially motivated and the white lady whose TV was stolen by a black guy is probably just straight out crime, based on the fact that no racial slurs or comments came with it. So it makes no sense to comment whatabout my break-in when people talk about race attacks.
In the same breath can we not say whatabout our land when people talk about farm murders, let people mourn, don’t be that person.
Anyway whatabout letting people have their feelings and their emotions and opinions. Whatabout being a decent human?
Please do share your views with me…I’m always open to hearing other people’s opinions and I won’t whatabout you I promise
So true. I have been posting all weekend about my mom who was attacked on the mountain this weekend and would you believe… Someone said people are posting about these nine hikers who were attacked, WHAT ABOUT all the people who died in the tow ships this weekend? bah!
Uhm apples and oranges sheesh!!! So sorry about your mom didn’t realise the link…giant hugs and silent prayers
Thanks for sharing these brave and needed words.
Thanks for sharing these brave and needed words 🙂
Sometimes you just can’t help but call people out! Thanks for reading
Two thoughts. One, this is quite similar to what I’ve always thought of as competitive nagging – when you complain about something in your life and there is always someone who can top what you’re going through (although winning at being miserable is hardly a victory worth having, but maybe that’s just me). The second thought is on the race bandwagon, which I am terrified of, because I’m white and – even though my only input would be to admit that I don’t know enough to speak on other people’s struggles in this regard like I understand it – it would be a nightmare to engage on the topic on social media. And that makes me sad, because you can’t overcome a problem if you refuse to talk about it. But that’s a whole other debate and the comment box is not big enough. (Even posting this much about race openly makes me nervous.)