• lasagna@programming.dev
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    1 year ago

    Whataboutism bs. Two wrongs don’t make a right.

    whataboutism /ˌwɒtəˈbaʊtɪz(ə)m/ noun the technique or practice of responding to an accusation or difficult question by making a counter-accusation or raising a different issue.

    • puppy@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Yeah but I didn’t see anyone complaining when NASA Artemis was announced? Everyone rejoiced NASA’s return to space. So why the double standard towards India? Credit where credit is due don’t you think?

      Also what’s the caste system has anything to do with the Indian government? How do you think the government has enforced it? What do you think the government should do instead? I am not Indian mind you, but I am sick of these holier than thou attitude of westerners.

      • lasagna@programming.dev
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        1 year ago

        Credit is definitely due and this is an amazing feat by India.

        I haven’t bothered to discuss the other topic. Is there even any point when US issues are always on the front page here? I probably know more about US politics than my own country at this point.

        Though of course you could also go there and take a jab at Americans. Let me know when you do so I can give you some support.

        • puppy@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          I haven’t bothered to discuss the other topic.

          Exactly. Verdict issued yet you haven’t still thought about it? You haven’t bothered. Yet you’ve already decided that the government is responsible. Otherwise it wouldn’t constitute a “whataboutism”. There are many cases of “a Texas man doing this and a Florida man doing that” but nobody has blamed the government for these.

          • lasagna@programming.dev
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            1 year ago

            Whatever your reasons, that was whataboutism.

            Expecting others to know what goes on in NASA discussions is moronic at best. That’s not the topic we are in. You didn’t even link it or reference it.

            The Indian caste system is a humanitarian crisis. Would you rather westerners ignore it? There’s just no winning then, is there?

            • puppy@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              Expecting others to know what goes on in NASA discussions is moronic at best.

              So people haven’t criticized NASA because they don’t know what NASA does. Yet suddenly everyone, including you has opinions about India’s space program. I thought NASA had a much bigger space program. And I am the moron to point out the double standard? This is exactly what I was talking about, the “holier than thou” attitude.

              Whatever your reasons, that was whataboutism.

              You haven’t still answered how you think the Indian government is responsible for the caste system. Shouldn’t that be resolved first? If you can’t say if the claim itself is even true, how is it whataboutism?

    • kava@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      I hate the term whataboutism

      It’s OK to point out hypocrisy. In fact, I think it should be forefront on everyone’s mind when your government is criticizing some other government for things they do themselves

      • rhombus@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        In the case of one government criticizing another it’s definitely fair to point out hypocrisy. The problem is that in most cases it’s used to avoid discussion on a topic by changing the subject of the debate.

        That said, it is also fair to say that the first comment kind of shoehorned in the caste system on a topic that had nothing to do with it.