whataboutism
"But they too"
Whataboutism is a rhetorical tactic that deflects criticism by pointing to someone else's wrongdoing: When confronted about the invasion, the spokesman pivoted to whataboutism about NATO expansion.
The move doesn't address the original charge—it merely asks "what about" some other offense, implying hypocrisy or suggesting the critic has no standing.
The term emerged from Cold War exchanges where Soviet officials routinely countered American criticism with American failings.
Act of escaping detection
- misdirectionIntentional focus manipulation
- distractionThing diverting one's attention
- sidesteppingMoving aside to avoid
- redirectionChange of course
dodging · obfuscation · equivocation · avoidance · counteraccusation · excuse · pivot · hedging
Biased information for influence
- demagogueryManipulative political rhetoric
- spinRapid rotation around axis
- manipulationUnderhanded control of others
- polemicAggressive argumentative discourse
gaslighting · disinformation · trolling · soundbite · punditry · partisan
Pretense of virtue
- inconsistencyLack of steady pattern
- biasUnfair inclination or prejudice
- credibilityQuality inspiring trust
- accountabilityObligation for one's actions
evasion
Act of escaping detection
- misdirectionIntentional focus manipulation
- distractionThing diverting one's attention
- sidesteppingMoving aside to avoid
redirection · dodging · obfuscation · equivocation · avoidance · counteraccusation · excuse · pivot · hedging · cop-out
irrelevance
Lack of pertinence
- sophistryDeceptive reasoning
propaganda
Biased information for influence
- demagogueryManipulative political rhetoric
- spinRapid rotation around axis
- manipulationUnderhanded control of others
polemic · gaslighting · disinformation · trolling · soundbite · punditry · partisan
hypocrisy
Pretense of virtue
- inconsistencyLack of steady pattern
- biasUnfair inclination or prejudice
- credibilityQuality inspiring trust
- rhetoricrhetoric, persuasion, oratory, argumentation, debate
- blame-shifting tacticsdeflection, denial, excuse, scapegoating, finger-pointing
- debate tacticsexaggeration, appeal to authority, appeal to emotion, logical fallacy, straw man
- logical fallaciesfallacy, straw man, ad hominem, red herring, false dilemma
- manipulation tacticsgaslighting, guilt trip, guilt-tripping, guilt tripping, emotional blackmail
- political buzzwordswoke, wokeness, virtue signaling, virtue signal, dog whistle
whataboutismaccountability
Obligation for one's actions
taking responsibility · good faith argument · intellectual honesty · mea culpa · acknowledgment