We've all done it at some stage.Something stunningly stupid...or said something we instantly know is the equivalent of putting your hand in a blender then turning it on.What we used to deflect blame before puberty took hold was "Whataboutery" The classic kiddy get out clause when caught bang to rights..."But what about Jimmy ? he did the same thing and did'nt have to cut the lawn with nail clippers.S'not fair..." No you're right,S'not fair...but here's the difference.Jimmy did'nt get caught till you grassed him up you little shit...
As i said it's the sort of stuff we grow out of when we become functional members of the human race.We may think such things but don't generally articulate them.Especially to our boss who,if we did,may well deploy the exasperated parents cliche of "If Jimmy told you to..." I don't know,probably something to do with skin & staplers...but you get my point?...and then came social media.
I love social media,i really do.I use it constantly.It's a very handy tool,but it's a tool that attracts a lot of tools.I sort of expect spotty faced Herberts to argue the toss with the Wildean wit of "He said she said" over trivial matters but what i don't expect (even though listening to the constant braying on Prime Ministers Questions i should) is back & forth "Whataboutery" from both sides of the political divide in an attempt to hide their own inadequate failings and hypocrisy...trying to deflect their own bullshit by pointing out smellier bullshit from the other side...If the internet were around in the 30's & 40's Mussolini would no doubt be pointing out that Hitler massacred many more people than he did...
Don't get me wrong it's good to point these things out,but not in the manner of the playground.Not in the manner of five year olds blaming each other for painting the cat green...and then we get the out and out lies as deflection.Lies in the normal conversations can normally be sussed, and squashed,out pretty quickly.Not on social media,it takes on a life of it's own,grows out of all proportion until it becomes accepted truth...the so called Alt Right know this and they have the perfect patsy mouthpiece in Trump.The king of "Whataboutery" who also has enough sycophantic acolytes to keep spreading the news,fake or not...got to admit the Alt(old) right have stolen a march on everyone with their use of social media.Especially with their use of "Whataboutery"
This is serious stuff.Social Media informs & forms (or at least validates) views in many.Trenchant beliefs become even more so on any social media debate(I'm being very generous using "debate") and no doubt i'm as guilty as anyone else on this front.More and more people now get their world view from the internet,It's the go to platform on world affairs.Seeing the truth through the bullshit is becoming harder and harder and the peddlers of this bullshit with agendas know this.They also know that if they're losing an argument the go to strategy is to play the "Whataboutery" card...It usually works.
Next time you're either engaged in,or furiously shovelling handfuls of popcorn into your mouth whilst watching, a heated Twitter/Facebook discourse,watch how long "Whataboutery" takes to make an appearance.After that all bets are off...
Whataboutery. The new Godwin's law...
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