I just had a thought1 on this, and figured I'd share. I don't feel like debating this; I'm just throwing it out there. There's been a lot of talk around here about Trump, his behavior, other people seeming to excuse it by bringing up Obama, etc. So take this as my recently-found two cents on the subject:
I think what may be intended by a lot of the "whataboutism," and which has not been communicated well, has been that a lot of the criticism of Trump is regarding how unprecedented his actions are. Things like how Trump has dictator-like tendencies to belittle the press, his over-the-top rhetoric, etc.
So I think2 that a lot of the response to this could be explained as an attempt to combat the claim or implication that Trump is unprecedented3 in stuff like this. For example:
"Trump said this about the media. Unheard of!"
"Well, Obama did this."
The Obama statement could be intended as a few things:
1. Obama did it, so it's ok for Trump to do it (stereotypical "whataboutism")
2. Look at the hypocrisy here! (this has been mentioned a lot)
3. These are examples that Trump's behavior isn't as unprecedented or unusual as is being claimed.
If I'm right about #3, and that this is what has--at least sometimes--been intended, it's been poorly communicated. And heck, it may even be wrong (i.e., the examples don't hold, for whatever reason)--that's not the point of the thread. This thread is an attempt to be fair-minded with what could explain a lot of the so-called "whataboutism" that's been going around here.
1. I have these sometimes!
2. Again, I'm just spitballing here. I'm not going to debate this, so think of this thread as "for your consideration."
3. At least, unprecedented in US politics. Obviously if Trump really does have some of the behavior or tendencies of a dictator, it's not unprecedented in a more broad sense.
I think what may be intended by a lot of the "whataboutism," and which has not been communicated well, has been that a lot of the criticism of Trump is regarding how unprecedented his actions are. Things like how Trump has dictator-like tendencies to belittle the press, his over-the-top rhetoric, etc.
So I think2 that a lot of the response to this could be explained as an attempt to combat the claim or implication that Trump is unprecedented3 in stuff like this. For example:
"Trump said this about the media. Unheard of!"
"Well, Obama did this."
The Obama statement could be intended as a few things:
1. Obama did it, so it's ok for Trump to do it (stereotypical "whataboutism")
2. Look at the hypocrisy here! (this has been mentioned a lot)
3. These are examples that Trump's behavior isn't as unprecedented or unusual as is being claimed.
If I'm right about #3, and that this is what has--at least sometimes--been intended, it's been poorly communicated. And heck, it may even be wrong (i.e., the examples don't hold, for whatever reason)--that's not the point of the thread. This thread is an attempt to be fair-minded with what could explain a lot of the so-called "whataboutism" that's been going around here.
1. I have these sometimes!
2. Again, I'm just spitballing here. I'm not going to debate this, so think of this thread as "for your consideration."
3. At least, unprecedented in US politics. Obviously if Trump really does have some of the behavior or tendencies of a dictator, it's not unprecedented in a more broad sense.
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