What’s whataboutism?
<p><span word="Reader">Reader</span> <span word="question">question</span>:</p><p><span word="Please">Please</span> <span word="explain">explain</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="headline">headline</span>: <span word="Trump">Trump</span> <span word="Embraces">Embraces</span> <span word="One">One</span> <span word="Of">Of</span> <span word="Russia">Russia</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="Favorite">Favorite</span> <span word="Propaganda">Propaganda</span> <span word="Tactics">Tactics</span> — <span word="Whataboutism">Whataboutism</span> (<span word="NPR">NPR</span>.<span word="org">org</span>, <span word="March">March</span> 17, 2017). <span word="What">What</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="whataboutism">whataboutism</span> <span word="exactly">exactly</span>?</p><p><span word="My">My</span> <span word="comments">comments</span>:</p><p><span word="You">You</span> <span word="criticize">criticize</span> <span word="someone">someone</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="doing">doing</span> <span word="something">something</span> <span word="wrong">wrong</span>, <span word="and">and</span> <span word="they">they</span> <span word="say">say</span> “<span word="What">What</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="you">you</span>?”</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="nutshell">nutshell</span>, <span word="that">that</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="whataboutism">whataboutism</span>, <span word="a">a</span> <span word="retorting">retorting</span> <span word="tactic">tactic</span> <span word="turned">turned</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="an">an</span> <span word="art">art</span> <span word="form">form</span> <span word="or">or</span>, <span word="seriously">seriously</span>, <span word="an">an</span> <span word="ideology">ideology</span>, <span word="an">an</span> <span word="ism">ism</span>.</p><p><span word="Without">Without</span> <span word="going">going</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="detail">detail</span>, <span word="we">we</span> <span word="may">may</span> <span word="infer">infer</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="our">our</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="article">article</span> <span word="talks">talks</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="all">all</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="times">times</span> <span word="when">when</span> <span word="US">US</span> <span word="President">President</span> <span word="Donald">Donald</span> <span word="Trump">Trump</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="criticized">criticized</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="something">something</span>, <span word="he">he</span> <span word="talks">talks</span> <span word="back">back</span> <span word="with">with</span>, <span word="say">say</span>, “<span word="What">What</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="Obama">Obama</span>?”, <span word="or">or</span> “<span word="What">What</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="Clinton">Clinton</span>?”, <span word="Hillary">Hillary</span> <span word="Clinton">Clinton</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="Trump">Trump</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="presidential">presidential</span> <span word="opponent">opponent</span>.</p><p><span word="Or">Or</span> “<span word="What">What</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="Bill">Bill</span>?” <span word="Bill">Bill</span> <span word="Clinton">Clinton</span>, <span word="that">that</span> <span word="is">is</span>, <span word="Hillary">Hillary</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="husband">husband</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="former">former</span> <span word="president">president</span>.</p><p><span word="In">In</span> <span word="short">short</span>, <span word="Trump">Trump</span> <span word="just">just</span> <span word="talks">talks</span> <span word="tough">tough</span> – <span word="without">without</span> <span word="admitting">admitting</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="anything">anything</span> <span word="he">he</span> <span word="does">does</span> <span word="wrong">wrong</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="poorly">poorly</span>.</p><p><span word="It">It</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="called">called</span> “<span word="Russia">Russia</span>’<span word="s">s</span> <span word="favourite">favourite</span> <span word="propaganda">propaganda</span> <span word="tactic">tactic</span>” <span word="because">because</span> <span word="Russia">Russia</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="Soviet">Soviet</span> <span word="Union">Union</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="fact">fact</span>, <span word="used">used</span> <span word="to">to</span> <span word="adopt">adopt</span> <span word="this">this</span> <span word="tactic">tactic</span> <span word="quite">quite</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="lot">lot</span> <span word="during">during</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="cold">cold</span> <span word="war">war</span>?</p><p><span word="The">The</span> <span word="cold">cold</span> <span word="war">war</span>? <span word="Google">Google</span> <span word="it">it</span>, <span word="please">please</span>. <span word="Or">Or</span> <span word="Bing">Bing</span> <span word="it">it</span>.</p><p><span word="Not">Not</span> <span word="only">only</span> <span word="Russia">Russia</span>, <span word="I">I</span> <span word="remember">remember</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="did">did</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="thing">thing</span>, <span word="too">too</span>. <span word="During">During</span> <span word="the">the</span> 1980<span word="s">s</span> <span word="and">and</span> 1990<span word="s">s</span>, <span word="for">for</span> <span word="example">example</span>, <span word="whenever">whenever</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="United">United</span> <span word="States">States</span> <span word="criticized">criticized</span> <span word="China">China</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="human">human</span> <span word="rights">rights</span>, <span word="China">China</span> <span word="said">said</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="less">less</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="same">same</span> <span word="thing">thing</span>: “<span word="What">What</span> <span word="about">about</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="record">record</span>?” <span word="Look">Look</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="your">your</span> <span word="slums">slums</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="overpopulated">overpopulated</span> <span word="prisons">prisons</span>, <span word="etc">etc</span>. <span word="and">and</span> <span word="so">so</span> <span word="forth">forth</span>. <span word="In">In</span> <span word="other">other</span> <span word="words">words</span>, <span word="take">take</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="look">look</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="mirror">mirror</span>.</p>
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