last updated 26 February, 2024
"Whataboutism" is now a common accusation on the Internet.
We do not deny that "whataboutism" is a real thing. People do deflect blame by pointing out the sins of others. For example, if you point out how European Christians/the American Founding Fathers created the brutal Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade, it's only a matter of time before someone comes along and asks "what about the Arab Slave Trade?".
Such deflection is not exclusive to "the right" of course. But frankly it is more prevalent on the right, despite the fact that it is favorite accusation against "the left".
The root of the problem is that many people do not understand the difference between "whataboutism", a tactic of deflection, and "upamana", an accepted pathway for arriving at truth.
Upamana is one of six pramanas accepted by Advaita Vedanta.