whataboutism

American  

[hwuht-uh-bou-tiz-uhm, wuht‐, hwot‐, wot‐] / ˌʰwʌt əˈbaʊ tɪz əm, ˌwʌt‐, ˌʰwɒt‐, ˌwɒt‐ /

noun

1. a conversational tactic in which a person responds to an argument or attack by changing the subject to focus on someone else’s misconduct, implying that all criticism is invalid because no one is completely blameless.

   Excusing your mistakes with whataboutism is not the same as defending your record.

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Etymology

Origin of whataboutism

First recorded in 1975–80; from the phrase what about? + -ism ( def. )

Example Sentences

It was $3,400 a troy ounce when I wrote about its rise in a cover story in April, and close to $4,500 when I wrote here in December about metallurgical whataboutism, which has turned entire swaths of the periodic table of elements into portfolio world-beaters.

From Barron's

There is a lot of metallurgical whataboutism that goes on in commodities forecasting.

From Barron's

Now allow me to engage in a bit of whataboutism, on the grounds that you can usefully gauge a movement’s health by comparing it to its counterpart.

From The Wall Street Journal

Your mileage may vary as to whether Egg Whataboutism is a feckless approach.

From Slate

Despite the whataboutism of the counter-accusation, they’ve got a point.

From Salon