Whataboutism
Answering a criticism by pointing at someone else's wrongs instead.
In our replies we call it: "What about them?"
What it means
Whataboutism deflects a criticism by changing the subject to someone else's misdeeds: "What about them?" It never answers whether the original criticism is true. It's one of the most common moves in political Reels on every side, because it turns a question you can check into a fight you can't win.
How to spot it in a Reel
- The Reel starts from a criticism and replies with "but what about..."
- It lists the other side's past scandals instead of addressing the current one
- Captions like "Where were you when...?" or "Why silent on...?"
Examples
- A Reel defending a government answers a report on rising prices with "What about the scams under the last government?"
- A Reel attacking the same government answers its new scheme with "What about the farmers who died?" Both dodge the question that was asked.
Why it doesn't hold up
Two things can be true at once. Someone else's wrongdoing doesn't make this criticism false, and it doesn't make it true either. Each claim has to be checked on its own.
What to say back
"That may be a separate issue worth discussing. But is what was said about this one true or not?"
Questions
Is whataboutism always wrong?
Pointing out a double standard can be fair. It becomes whataboutism when it replaces the answer to the original question.
Check a Reel for this trick
Send any Reel to @checkthis.chat on Instagram. If it uses this trick, the reply names it and shows where it happens.
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