Steelman
Whataboutism
Also called whataboutery, “What about…?”, two wrongs make a right (related).
Deflecting criticism by pointing to someone else’s wrongdoing.
What it is
Responding to an accusation or criticism with a counter-accusation (“what about when you, or they…?”) instead of addressing the original point.
The pattern
A criticizes B for X. B replies: “What about Y that you (or others) did?” X goes unaddressed.
An example
Reporter: “Your government jailed three journalists this year.” Spokesperson: “What about the journalists arrested at protests in your country?”
The other country’s record, whatever it is, doesn’t answer whether jailing these three journalists was justified.
Why it fails
Someone else’s wrongdoing, even if real, doesn’t show the original criticism is false. At most it shows the critic may be inconsistent, and the original question still needs an answer.
When it’s not a fallacy
Most lists skip this part. Calling a fair point a fallacy is a mistake too.
It can be fair when
- The comparison is genuinely relevant. When the issue is whether a criticism is being applied fairly or consistently, pointing to how similar cases are treated is fair context.
Try one
A question from the app. The wrong answers are its usual look-alikes.
Walking out of a restaurant. Nina: “You left nothing on a $90 dinner. Our server was great, and she earns $2.13 an hour before tips.” Dev: “And the bakery that spins the screen around asking for 25% for handing me a croissant? Nobody blinks at that. Why is it always the customer getting lectured?” Nina: “Hold on, I’m going back in.” Dev: “Fine. Grab me a mint.”
What’s the flaw?
The bakery’s tip screen may well be over the top, but Nina asked about Dev’s own dinner. Pointing at someone else’s excess leaves the server’s $2.13 an hour untouched.
A fair reply
“Tip screens can be annoying, but did our server deserve nothing?”
Often confused with
- Tu quoque
Tu quoque says “you do it too, so your argument fails”. Whataboutism is a broader deflection that can point at anyone.
- Red herring
Whataboutism is a red herring that specifically takes the form of a counter-accusation.
Where the name comes from
The name is the move itself: someone raises a problem, and you answer “What about that other thing?” The “-ism” makes it a habit, and “whataboutery” is the same word with a different ending, common in Britain and Ireland. “Two wrongs make a right” flips the old saying “two wrongs don’t make a right”, as if someone else’s wrong cancels yours.
According to lexicographer Ben Zimmer, “whataboutery” appeared in Northern Ireland during the Troubles in the 1970s. The term was later applied to Soviet propaganda, and journalist Edward Lucas popularized “whataboutism” in The Economist in 2007–08.
Sources
- Whataboutism, Wikipedia
In the app
Practice spotting it on arguments that sound real.
Steelman has more examples of whataboutism, how to answer it in a real conversation, and practice rounds that mix it with its look-alikes, so you learn the difference, not just the name. Coming soon to iPhone and Android.
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