How About We Ditch Whataboutism?

It's time for both sides to condemn the bad actors within their own movements.

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As many feared, after President Joe Biden was inaugurated, a mob unleashed destruction. They stormed the Democratic party headquarters. They spray-painted “[expletive deleted] Biden!” and smashed the Democratic HQ’s windows. One sign read, “We don’t want Biden, we want revenge!” 

Federal law enforcement used tear gas to repel the gangs of anti-democratic goons unwilling to accept the lawful verdict of voters. 

But here’s the thing: The bloodthirsty goons weren’t MAGA-hat wearing Trumpists, but members of Antifa, and the protests weren’t in Washington, D.C., but in Portland and Seattle. 

Now, I don’t bring this up to score partisan “What about Antifa?” points. The violence at the Capitol on January 6 was uniquely despicable, not merely for the American carnage it unleashed but also for its intent. The goal was to override the Constitution and install an unelected demagogue as president. Destroying businesses and beating innocent people is always evil, but it is a profound category error to pretend that the sins of “one side” cancel out the sins of the other. 

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  1. Avatar photo
    C C Writer

    This column appeared in yesterday's (Monday, January 25) Chicago Tribune in the op-ed pages. The headline was "Both sides need to ditch whataboutism and condemn bad actors." And it was accompanied by a large photo of the damaged headquarters of the Democratic Party of Oregon. (Also by a small photo of Jonah, which is routine.)

    I hope it gets the attention it deserves.

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  2. Joe1776

    Republicans complained that there was not sufficient law enforcement to arrest everyone. I haven’t heard any republicans say the rioters at the capitol shouldn’t be arrested. Mike pence is not promoting a go fund me to pay for their bail like Harris did for BLM rioters.

    “What about ism” is a phrase used by dems that want to use a double standard with impunity. When you ask a Republican “what about” the rioters at the capitol they yes arrest them too.

    Republicans try to use objective standards to avoid bias. Dems do all they can to justify bias.

    If Hillary falsely says the 2016 election was stolen then republicans will wonder why the standard is different for trump. There is nothing wrong with asking that people be treated in an unbiased way.

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    1. Avatar photo
      Pat Riot

      Hillary congratulated Trump on his victory on election night.

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      1. Joe1776

        She also said he stole the election. Is that ok for her to say but not for republicans?

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        1. Avatar photo
          Pat Riot

          Hillary congratulated Trump on his victory on election night.

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          1. Joe1776

            No one knew who won on election night in this 2020 election. Meanwhile Clinton and pelosi are *still* pushing the conspiracy that trump is a Putin puppet.

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  3. Bill O'Donnell

    If I had the power to make it so, I would transport the extremists on all sides of the political spectrum, to Death Valley, for an all out fight to the finish. Think of it as a political cage match of the ages, with Hannity, Carlson and Levin as captains. No, strike that. Seeing those three in tights would be an obscenity!

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  4. Avatar photo
    Angie

    Yikes, a fair bit of the comments, on both sides...seems to prove why this might be a Herculean task?

    Sigh..I despair

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  5. CatoTheElder

    “It’s time for both sides to condemn the bad actors within their own movements.” —This. Yes, it’s time to act like grown-ups with a bit of backbone and at least a wee bit of bravery. And it’s time to quit nit-picking at the other side with each and every breath: “Mommy! He didn’t mow the whole yard! He didn’t get the mower right up to the bricks around the roses!”

    From an old football coach: “Let’s focus on getting things done, and doing ‘em well, people. If you’re still arguing about the last play, saying ‘The defender didn’t have his chin strap properly tightened’, well, you’re gonna get your a** handed to you on this play, and I’m not gonna be sorry to see it. Now go out there and do your job. Not somebody else’s. Yours.”

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  6. Avatar photo
    Bill Nelson

    “The violence at the Capitol on January 6 was uniquely despicable...”
    It was unique by who engaged in the violence and who precipitated the violence. Yes there were extremists who had made plans, but those plans would have been for naught without the churned up mob behind them.
    We, virtually everyone left and right, expect the extreme left to behave this way.

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    1. CatoTheElder

      It was first, foremost, and forever unique BECAUSE IT WAS AN ATTACK ON THE NATION’S CAPITOL, WITH INTENT TO DEFRAUD THE PUBLIC AND DENY THE CONSTITUTIONALLY PRESCRIBED TRANSFER OF POWER AFTER AN ELECTION. That it was extremists of the “right” doesn’t make it especially unique. That a bone-headed goon who thought he could turn the nation into a banana republic incited the mob didn’t make it especially unique. But the fact that THE PRESIDENT OF THE US WAS THE BONE-HEADED GOON INCITING THE MOB did make it especially unique, and, yes, despicable.

      So please, take the what-aboutism, make an about-face, and march on home. Playing tit-for-tat is what kindergarteners do, not serious people trying to deal with serious problems.

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      1. Ingenero.lux

        It took a full-scale invasion to do anything of the sort before - one we and the Canadians still remember (the latter taking some comfort that they once did beat their massive southerly neighbor, even if it took the British Army to do so). Pretending this isn’t a uniquely awful situation for the history books simply tries to hand-wave away something that will forever be associated with Trump, like FDR and Japanese Internment. Anyone who would be more or less angry about this being done by another group in the US (Neo Nazis or the anarchist AntiFa types) needs a bit of a reality check - they’re the ones changing things based on who did it, not the people pissed that anyone would do something so terrible. If any other country instigated it, we’d be bombing the hell out of them at the moment, which should tell you something.

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      2. Lanky

        It's like Mookie throwing the trash can vs. the AWB invasion of Kempton Park WTC.

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    2. Avatar photo
      Pat Riot

      Yep, and it's *critical* that Republicans say the Democrats do the same thing lest the Republicans pay any political price whatsoever for the 1/6 insurrection.

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  7. Avatar photo
    Pat Riot

    "Lawmakers briefed on multiple potential threats to Congress between now and inauguration"

    "They were urged to take personal security measures, including bulletproof vests."

    https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/lawmakers-briefed-multiple-potential-threats-congress-now-inauguration/story?id=75203718


    Yep, just like the anti-FA idiots. Same thing. Whatabout them. Both sides do it. All politicians love violence so there's no point in judging it one way or another. Just decide on your favorite pet policy when you go to vote because this issue doesn't matter. It's all just a wash.

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  8. sane_AZ

    Whataboutism is about 88% of all political commentary, I believe JG has called it "nut picking" on The Remnant. For that reason alone, it's not going to go away anytime soon. I believe the larger reason is that so many Americans have picked a side and they're leaning into that more and more and their bad actors doing the dirty work. Neither side is going to eject them for that reason alone.

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  9. Daniel

    I disagree - it is a very useful tool to demonstrate your self-righteous liberal/Maga uncle is full of s***. This applies in spades to the clowns that govern us.

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  10. Avatar photo
    Pat Riot

    Here's what Biden isn't doing, according to Republicans and their whatabouting defenders:

    https://www.rawstory.com/joe-biden-vows-to-confront-domestic-violent-extremism-orders-dni-fbi-dhs-to-conduct-comprehensive-threat-assessment/

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    1. Daniel

      Here is some whataboutism - I thought liberals were into civil liberties. Reads like George W Bush targeting Muslim groups for special scrutiny or Obama using the IRS to settle scores.

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      1. Avatar photo
        Pat Riot

        Yeah, that's a lie alright. Obama never "used the IRS to settle scores" or anything of the kind.

        But sure, keep lying that lie. What possible downside could there be?

        Now when one of those capitol terrorists get their tax bill, thanks to you they can just assume it's Biden trying to get back at them and not say some mainframe in a building somewhere spitting out a bill based on some rules passed by Congress.

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        1. Daniel

          I think Jonah gets it right here:

          https://www.nationalreview.com/2014/06/real-story-irs-scandal-jonah-goldberg/

          Point stands, doesn't matter if it is George Bush, Obama, Trump or Biden - these sorts of sweeping law enforcement decrees need to be scrutinized and questioned.

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          1. Avatar photo
            Pat Riot

            Yes, he agrees with me: Obama never "used the IRS to settle scores", and like "stop the steal", that is not just a lie, but a *dangerous* lie that can and will lead to violence.

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