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China still hasn’t apologized to the world for lying about WMDs in Iraq, dropping nuclear bombs on Japan or mounting right-wing coups around the globe. When wil

China still hasn’t apologized to the world for lying about WMDs in Iraq, dropping nuclear bombs on Japan or mounting right-wing coups around the globe. When will it start behaving more like the US?

devoply 7y ago
I can tolerate the empire that I am a part of because at least I know I can criticize its evil deeds without having them censor every little thing about them... which can potentially convince them to change, not so for the CPC.
- wayneftw 7y ago
  So, you prefer the tactics of a Brave New World over 1984. The outcome is still the same though is it not? You’re not really in control of anything.
simonh 7y ago
Whataboutism is just plain dumb. One country doing bad things in no way justifies any other country doing bad things. Especially when there is broad agreement amongst most people that both things are bad.
- modwest 7y ago
  I think geogra4's tone was of a kind with the post to which he was responding, which seemed to be asserting that only "modern democracies" (which there appear to be a scant few of these days) could "play ball," and that therefore China is, I guess, disqualified from participating in the world economy? This is deeply subjective obviously: It didn't strike me as "whataboutism," but more a refutation of what seemed like a moral-political superiority complex. Devopyl's comment expressed this old-fashioned view; very reminiscent of the 80s and 90s, for me, and I think geogra4's balloon-popping was well in order. We may have different definitions of "whataboutism" as well :)
- cdmckay 7y ago
  The GP is calling for consistency. Calling out “whataboutism” does not make that an invalid point.
SkyBelow 7y ago
One of those three doesn't really seem like a thing to apologize for. Do we expect the man being attacked with a sword to apologize for shooting the attacker in response?

China still hasn’t apologized to the world for lying about WMDs in Iraq, dropping nuclear bombs on Japan or mounting right-wing coups around the globe. When will it start behaving more like the US?

devoply 7y ago

I can tolerate the empire that I am a part of because at least I know I can criticize its evil deeds without having them censor every little thing about them... which can potentially convince them to change, not so for the CPC.

wayneftw 7y ago
So, you prefer the tactics of a Brave New World over 1984. The outcome is still the same though is it not? You’re not really in control of anything.

simonh 7y ago

Whataboutism is just plain dumb. One country doing bad things in no way justifies any other country doing bad things. Especially when there is broad agreement amongst most people that both things are bad.

modwest 7y ago
I think geogra4's tone was of a kind with the post to which he was responding, which seemed to be asserting that only "modern democracies" (which there appear to be a scant few of these days) could "play ball," and that therefore China is, I guess, disqualified from participating in the world economy? This is deeply subjective obviously: It didn't strike me as "whataboutism," but more a refutation of what seemed like a moral-political superiority complex. Devopyl's comment expressed this old-fashioned view; very reminiscent of the 80s and 90s, for me, and I think geogra4's balloon-popping was well in order. We may have different definitions of "whataboutism" as well :)
cdmckay 7y ago
The GP is calling for consistency. Calling out “whataboutism” does not make that an invalid point.

SkyBelow 7y ago

One of those three doesn't really seem like a thing to apologize for. Do we expect the man being attacked with a sword to apologize for shooting the attacker in response?