https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whataboutism
Whataboutism is a propaganda technique formerly used by the Soviet Union in its dealings with the Western world, and subsequently used as a form of propaganda in post-Soviet Russia. When criticisms were leveled at the Soviet Union, the Soviet response would be "What about..." followed by an event in the Western world.[6][7][8]
The term whataboutery has been used in British English since the period of The Troubles conflict in Northern Ireland.[9][10] Lexicographers date the first appearance of the variant whataboutism to the 1990s,[5][9] while other historians state that during the Cold War Western officials referred to the Soviet propaganda strategy by that term.[6][11] The tactic saw a resurgence in post-Soviet Russia, relating to human rights violations committed by, and criticisms of, the Russian government.[6][12][13] The technique received new attention during Russia's 2014 annexation of Crimea and military intervention in Ukraine.[14][15] Usage of the tactic extended to Russian President Vladimir Putin and his spokesman, Dmitry Peskov.[16][17][18]
The Guardian deemed whataboutism, as used in Russia, "practically a national ideology".[19] Journalist Julia Ioffe wrote that "Anyone who has ever studied the Soviet Union" was aware of the technique, citing the Soviet rejoinder to criticism, And you are lynching Negroes, as a "classic" example of the tactic.[20] Writing for Bloomberg News, Leonid Bershidsky called whataboutism a "Russian tradition",[21] while The New Yorker described the technique as "a strategy of false moral equivalences".[22] Jill Dougherty called whataboutism a "sacred Russian tactic",[23][24] and compared it to The pot calling the kettle black.[25]
= new reply since forum marked as read
