Today, let's talk about another thing plaguing our discourse these days. Whataboutism. The idea that someone's actions or beliefs are automatically invalid, because they used to act or believe a different thing. Can I tell you how sick I am of this? And we see it on both sides of the aisle.
How dare Eminem speak out in favor of gun control when he was arrested for illegally having a gun seventeen years ago. How dare Republicans support dialogue with North Korea when they reviled the idea under prior administrations?
It's almost like people aren't allowed to change their minds about things. (As an aside, this would imply some real issues with our criminal justice system, because if people can't change or learn lessons then what the actual hell are we doing?)
People love to do this. They love to hear people speak up in favor of something they used to oppose, and say something like "where were you when?" "Where were you when Obama was doing something Trump just did?"
My answer (because I am a clever, clever boy that understands how brains work sort of) is invariably "I wasn't paying that much attention then, but I am now." Or maybe "I was wrong then." Because generally, admissions of fault seem to have a mollifying effect on people. And maybe it reminds them that people can shift perspectives. I dunno. What I do know is that people love to throw this out because it changes any discussion from a factual one to an emotional one. And my fellow humans, we really, really need to get a fucking leash on our emotions. Reign it in, people. Reign it in.
Obviously, most people won't, so reigning in your emotions won't do any good, dear reader. I'm sorry for what is to come. But I suppose go ahead and revel in the moment. May as well enjoy it while it lasts.
Anyway; whataboutism. At its base it is a modified ad hominem attack. It is a fallacy that attacks the arguer instead of the argument. The person using it either doesn't want to admit that the action they are arguing against was actually a good idea (or at least one that they have no valid counterargument to), or they are simply looking for a fight. They are unwilling to simply allow for the idea that someone might have a new position on an idea and address the situation itself.
Now, it can be useful to look at the reasoning behind these positional shifts. For example, I'm fairly sure that the modern (circa 2018) Republican is more supportive of talks with North Korea than their ancient forebears (circa 2016) because God-Emperor Trump said it was a good idea instead of Black President Obamantichrist. So I take the position that having an open dialogue with a nuclear power that we have a historical enmity with is a good in itself, but that the sudden shift in who supports and opposes that discourse shows a blinding level of partisanship in America.
At the same time, is it possible that Eminem is now pro-gun control because of life changes that occurred over the course of almost twenty years? Perhaps he lost friends to gun violence. Maybe watching his daughter grow up in Crazy America offered him a fresh perspective. Maybe he simply got sick of watching kids get shot in schools.
I guess what I'm getting at with these two examples is that it is okay for people to change their minds. But what we need to ask ourselves is why they did so. Are Democrats that shriek in rage at our sitting President's meeting with, admittedly, one of the worst humans alive today (but one with nukes!) doing so because they genuinely think it was a global misstep, or are they doing so because Trump did it? Because I could have sworn, only a couple of years ago, most Dems thought it was a pretty good idea.
Now, it is important to note that the totality of the circumstances should be looked at. Do I think open discussions with North Korea are a good thing? Yes. Do I think agreeing to cease all military training with South Korea in exchange for nothing, without discussing that move with our allies of many decades, South Korea and Japan, while simultaneously exalting another dictatorship at the expense of our other close allies in other parts of the world? Well, when you put it that way, what the fuck is going on in the world today?
So to circle back to whataboutism. Engaging in it is pointless. It's an empty appeal to emotion, designed to stoke the fires of outrage in your side while offering nothing to your political opponents, because every person feels that they have the absolute right to change their position on an issue. If you want to effectively address issues with people, discuss the actual decisions being made as if historic American decision making never existed. Simply put things to people as they are, and see how they respond.
The sad fact is, most of them will respond exactly the same way. Because no one cares about facts or data anymore. No one cares about compromise or having a functioning country. Not a functioning government, a functioning country. Everyone wants one thing: absolute victory. God, could you imagine how people would react if they saw a couple treating each other the way liberals and conservatives treat each other these days? They'd call the fucking cops.
But always remember. What about them? They started it.