Comment by nojonestownpls

It's ironic that some people are using "whataboutism" as some trump card argument when people compare this actions of other countries, and in some cases linking to the Wikipedia article, when the article itself [1] points out:

> Those who use whataboutism are not necessarily engaging in an empty or cynical deflection of responsibility: whataboutism can be a useful tool to expose contradictions, double standards, and hypocrisy.

And even notes that people have "criticized the usage of accusations of whataboutism by American news outlets, arguing that accusations of whataboutism have been used to simply deflect criticisms of human rights abuses perpetrated by the United States or its allies."

Whataboutism has meaning only in a specific context, and is not a mallet to beat down anyone who points out any double standard you're uncomfortable with.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whataboutism