I think the whataboutisms come up whenever China is mentioned because it feels a bit goofy to spend energy worrying about authoritarianism across the world whil

I think the whataboutisms come up whenever China is mentioned because it feels a bit goofy to spend energy worrying about authoritarianism across the world while ignoring authoritarianism in your own country. I'm not saying people shouldn't worry about both, but if you're wondering why people are saying "but America" I'd guess that is the main reason.