A term used to dismiss valid criticism of the user's own hypocrisy.
Not to be confused with saying literally "what about-", which is a similar act of comparing someone's behavior with their own past actions.
Not to be confused with saying literally "what about-", which is a similar act of comparing someone's behavior with their own past actions.
"You're a terrible parent because you won't let your kids watch tv!"
"Didn't one of your kids die because of neglect?"
"That's whataboutism!"
"Didn't one of your kids die because of neglect?"
"That's whataboutism!"
by ColonelCluster February 14, 2024
Get the whataboutism mug.Attempt to deflect from valid criticism by claiming that your critic are themselves deflecting from criticism.
US Liberal: Conservatives want children to die because they won't ban all guns!
US Conservative: The vast majority of guns are never used to kill children, and are routinely used for self-defense to actually save lives, including those of children. Besides, you're pro-abortion, which literally murders millions of children every year.
US Liberal: Shutup! That's whataboutism!
US Conservative: The vast majority of guns are never used to kill children, and are routinely used for self-defense to actually save lives, including those of children. Besides, you're pro-abortion, which literally murders millions of children every year.
US Liberal: Shutup! That's whataboutism!
by The Bugle Abridged June 27, 2022
Get the whataboutism mug.The mistake of dismissing a valid accusation of hypocrisy or inconsistency as mere Whataboutism. While true Whataboutism deflects from a topic by raising an irrelevant counter-accusation, this fallacy fallacy occurs when the counter-accusation is directly relevant to exposing double standards or bad faith in the original argument. Crying "Whataboutism!" in such cases is a cheap way to avoid addressing the substantive point about equitable principle.
Whataboutism Fallacy Fallacy Example: Nation A condemns Nation B for electoral interference. Nation B replies, "You have funded coups in ten countries this decade." If Nation A's media declares this "classic Whataboutism," they commit the Whataboutism Fallacy Fallacy. The reply is not a deflection; it's a crucial challenge to Nation A's moral authority and the consistency of the applied principle.
by Abzugal Nammugal Enkigal February 4, 2026
Get the Whataboutism Fallacy Fallacy mug.