Definition: Whataboutism

Welcome to the digital age’s favorite sport. Forget basketball or billiards; the national pastime of the Philippines is now Whataboutism. It is the magical art of never having to say you’re sorry—or even that you’re wrong—by simply pointing a finger at someone else who is also, coincidentally, a disaster.

Definition:

Whataboutism (noun): A rhetorical smoke bomb thrown by someone who has been caught red-handed. It is the act of defending a mistake by citing a different, completely unrelated mistake made by someone else since way back when?

Whataboutism (or whataboutery) is an informal logical fallacy and propaganda technique that deflects criticism or accusations by raising counter accusations of different, often irrelevant issues.

Instead of defending against an accusation, it shifts the focus by using "but what about...?" to dodge accountability, distract from the subject, or imply hypocrisy.

 Another glaring examples are often seen in the podcast of Christian Esguerra, Ronald Llamas, or Chris Tan. 

While knee-deep discussing a very important political issue ... ang mga DDS kung naiipit na uses this ploy para makaiwas sa discussion and accountability by saying: "Kayo na ang maging presidente ..."

Or they can say:"Eh di ikaw na matalino?" 

"Look over there! A distraction!", and "The Art of the Reverse Card."

Example:

Imagine, if you will, a heated discussion about the crime statistics in Davao City.

Person A: "I’m a bit concerned. Statistics show that Davao City has a surprisingly high number of reported crimes, including theft and physical injuries. 

I thought it was the safest city in the solar system?"

The Whataboutist (The 'Davao-Defender' Edition):

"Oh, so now you’re an expert on Davao? WHAT ABOUT Quezon City? 

Have you seen the snatching there? It’s basically an Olympic sport! 

And WHAT ABOUT the 1980s? Manila was basically a live-action zombie movie back then!

Why are you talking about a stolen cellphone in Davao when WHAT ABOUT the time your cousin forgot to return my Tupperware in 2012? Ha! Checkmate"

How to Use it in a Sentence

Scenario: You have been caught by your spouse eating the last slice of cake that was clearly labeled "DO NOT EAT."

The Sentence: "Honey, before you get mad about the Red Velvet cake, WHAT ABOUT the fact that the Spanish colonized us for 333 years and stole our national dignity?

Why aren't we talking about that systemic injustice instead of one little piece of frosting?"

The Hierarchy of Whataboutist Responses

When You Are Caught...	The Whataboutist Escape Route
Stealing Government Funds	"What about the Yolanda funds? Isali natin sa usapan!"
Misunderstood Forthwith	"What about the Chiz?" He started all this mess.
Being involved in ghost projects	"What about the other ghost!" Ghost employees ... ghost students!
Ignoring Maritime Laws	"What about the Fish in the ocean? Are they following the law?"

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The Beauty of the Fallacy

The genius of Whataboutism is that it requires zero brain cells but maximum lung capacity. 

You don't need to study law, geography, or ethics. You just need to keep a mental Rolodex of every bad thing that has ever happened in human history.

Are you being accused of a crime today? 

Just bring up a pirate attack from the 17th century. 

Are people questioning your "Confidential Funds"? Just ask them WHAT ABOUT the hidden treasure of Limahong.

In the world of Whataboutism, no one is ever guilty, because everyone is always "what-about-ing" someone else into oblivion.