[Whataboutism](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whataboutism): > **Whataboutism** or **whataboutery** (as in "what about…?") denotes in a [pejorative](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pejorative "Pejorative") sense a procedure in which a critical question or argument is not answered or [discussed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discussion "Discussion"), but [retorted](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retorsion "Retorsion") with a critical counter-question which expresses a counter-accusation. From a [logical](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logic "Logic") and argumentative point of view it is considered a [variant](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argument "Argument") of the [tu-quoque](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tu_quoque "Tu quoque") pattern (Latin 'you too', term for a counter-accusation), which is a subtype of the [ad-hominem argument](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Argumentum_ad_hominem "Argumentum ad hominem"). > Some commentators have defended the usage of whataboutism and _tu quoque_ in certain contexts. Whataboutism can provide necessary context into whether or not a particular line of critique is relevant or fair, and behavior that may be imperfect by international standards may be appropriate in a given geopolitical neighborhood. Accusing an interlocutor of whataboutism can also in itself be manipulative and serve the motive of [discrediting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Discrediting "Discrediting"), as critical [talking points](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talking_point "Talking point") can be used [selectively](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selective_perception "Selective perception") and purposefully even as the starting point of the conversation (cf. [agenda setting](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agenda_setting "Agenda setting"), [framing](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Framing_(social_sciences) "Framing (social sciences)"), [framing effect](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Framing_effect "Framing effect"), [priming](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priming_(psychology) "Priming (psychology)"), [cherry picking](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_picking "Cherry picking")) [[What makes a bad argument]]: > The curse of whataboutism is that we can often do it forever. If you want to talk about White House nepotism, it'd take weeks (or years) to properly adjudicate all the instances in American history, and it would get us nowhere but to excuse the behavior of our own team. That is, of course, typically how this tactic is employed. ## See also - [[Rhetorical tricks]] #rhetoric #language #debate