• OurToothbrush@lemmy.ml
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    1 year ago

    People cry whataboutism when they dislike people throwing context that goes against their argument into a discussion.

    • Gorilladrums@sh.itjust.works
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      1 year ago

      The only people who feel threatned by others calling out fallacies are the ones who know they’re disingenuous but still act in bad faith anyway.

      • OurToothbrush@lemmy.ml
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        1 year ago

        That’s literally whataboutism, I criticized people using the vocabulary of “whataboutism” and then you said “but whatabout people who are doing whataboutism!”

        To be clear, I dont believe whataboutism is a fallacy, but you do, so why are you doing it?

        • sub_ubi@lemmy.ml
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          1 year ago

          It’s funny liberals had to start calling it “Whataboutism” as the previous term made it clear they were racist.

        • GreatGrapeApe@reddthat.com
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          1 year ago

          No it isn’t. I am explaining why whataboutism is a fallacy itself. If you have a valid counterpoint to a claim there would be no need to engage with whataboutism.

          I am not engaging in whataboutism but based on your view that it isn’t fallacious Im not sure you will understand that. Not everyone is good at logical processing.

          • OurToothbrush@lemmy.ml
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            1 year ago

            I was criticizing people claiming whataboutism, you were doing “but what about people doing whataboutism!” Which is whataboutism.

            Not everyone is good at logical processing.

            Hence why we are having this conversation.

              • OurToothbrush@lemmy.ml
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                1 year ago

                You’re literally advocating for the concept of a fallacy which is basically whining “no you can’t just provide context nooo that would defeat my point.” Which was first used to excuse British colonial brutality and later used to defend lynching.

                • GreatGrapeApe@reddthat.com
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                  1 year ago

                  No I am not doing that.

                  Whataboutism is an actual fallacy even if you din’t recognize that.

                  If we were talking about the vast amounts of crimes the British East India company was responsible for and you chimed in with “whatabout the Dutch East India company’s crimes” that would be a fallacious point because it is unrelated to the discussion and is only a diversionary tactic.

                  That is why whataboutism is a fallacy. It is used by people who cannot address the argument being made which you have done here.

                  The fact that the initial use of the term was to defray from atrocities doesn’t make the use of whataboutisms logically valid.

                  • OurToothbrush@lemmy.ml
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                    1 year ago

                    If you mention that the soviet union used tear gas in rare instances and therefore they’re authoritarian then I mention that the US frequently tear gasses protestors and BLM organizers keep showing up having shot themselves in the back of the head twice and you dont call them authoritarian that’s “whataboutism” and it isnt a fallacy, it is providing context that points out hypocrisy.

                    You dont want to understand yourself to be a hypocrite but you don’t want to change, is what it boils down to. So you do the though terminating “whataboutism” and you can ignore it.