I hate how liberals can create a meaningless label like whataboutism and then repeat it endlessly until it becomes an argument for them. Most of these labels were created because they are too lazy or ignorant to counter argument. Their debate capabilities rival that of a child.
There are some paranoid levels of thinking in some of that stuff. Like when a person thinks someone is a "x foreign country spy" because they disagree. It's possible for people to break out of that mode of thinking, but when they are in that mode, it's next to impossible to get through because everything you say that is in disagreement is "because you are trying to deceive them."
Liberals claiming someone is doing whataboutism seems like a component of this thinking, with a belief that the one doing the "whataboutism" is attempting to deceive. But although it's (probably? I haven't analyzed it in enough depth to say with certainty) possible for someone to deceive in that way, it's also possible to compare two things for a variety of rhetorical purposes that have nothing to do with dishonesty. Such as pointing out the US has the highest incarceration rate in the world if someone tries to say x foreign country is "authoritarian" in contrast to the US being "free"; that's not whataboutism, it's a factual point that undermines the narrative of the US having some kind of greater moral standing from which it can properly judge other countries.
If anything, I would say imperialists, liberals, tend to be more engaged in actual whataboutism, even if unconsciously. Like if you try to point out something fundamentally wrong with the US, claiming that alternatives are way worse. Which in that regard also seems to be in bed with doomerism (or more formally maybe, capitalist realism).
Oh yeah I've noticed that as well, it's absolutely inconceivable for these people that somebody could genuinely disagree with them. If you have a contrary opinion that must be because you have some secret agenda. It's kind of funny to unpack to be honest because what are they even saying there. When they say you're shilling for the see see pee or whatever, they're still acknowledging that you ultimately prefer that system. Yet, according to them, your view should be dismissed because anything that's not western liberalism is somehow evil.
The whole whataboutism thing is fundamentally a logical fallacy. It's basically a rhetorical device to create a double moral standard for yourself and your adversaries. Why should others be held to a higher standard than one holds themselves, it doesn't make any sense.
That's a logical fallacy not a meaningless label. Do you know what a straw man argument is? Whataboutism is like that, it's a debate tactic people use in arguments. It's called a fallacy because it doesn't actually settle arguments but instead uses poor logic to make it appear that the person using it is winning.
To use one of the rights favorite whatabouts.
Trump is a traitor. Saying well what about Hunter Biden doesn't make Trump less of a traitor, but instead tries to derail the argument and make it about Hunter Biden.
Whataboutism
So how many times per day do we have to fill the full card for a bingo?
No "West Taiwan?" No Tiananmen? No accusations for accusations of being a bot? Smdh this bingo lacks content.
No accusations for accusations of being a bot?
Wumao comes pretty close
Ah but you see, it's the Chinese the ones who pay people to post opinions favourable to them. The Russians, on the other side, program robots to post opinions favourable to them. It's a very important difference.
Not even "vatnik" 😔
