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Trump Embraces One Of Russia's Favorite Propaganda Tactics — Whataboutism [W:18]

Somerville

Somerville

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This tactic is seen every day on this forum. It is something that both sides of the political fence are guilty of but I do see it more often coming from those who call themselves "conservative" and "libertarian"

Trump Embraces One Of Russia's Favorite Propaganda Tactics — Whataboutism

President Trump has developed a consistent tactic when he's criticized: say that someone else is worse.

This week, when the Congressional Budget Office estimated that Republicans' health care plan would leave 24 million additional people uninsured in 2026, Trump's first move wasn't a direct response. Instead, he took to Twitter to blast the Affordable Care Act (commonly referred to as Obamacare), criticizing how much was spent on promoting it and asking people to tweet their own criticisms.

Prior to that, when the floodlights were on communications between then-Alabama Sen. Jeff Sessions and the Russian ambassador, Trump's tweets were all about Democrats' contact with the Russians:

Famously, he even did a reverse version of this — defending not the U.S., but Russia — when he told Fox News' Bill O'Reilly about his "respect" for Russian President Vladimir Putin, as former Hillary Clinton State Department and campaign adviser Jake Sullivan noted in Foreign Policy in February.

When O'Reilly countered that "Putin is a killer," Trump responded, "There are a lot of killers. You got a lot of killers. What, you think our country is so innocent?"

This particular brand of changing the subject is called "whataboutism" — a simple rhetorical tactic heavily used by the Soviet Union and, later, Russia. And its use in Russia helps illustrate how it could be such a useful tool now, in America. As Russian political experts told NPR, it's an attractive tactic for populists in particular, allowing them to be vague but appear straight-talking at the same time.

A schoolyard taunt, brought to a global level
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Somerville said:
This tactic is seen every day on this forum. It is something that both sides of the political fence are guilty of but I do see it more often coming from those who call themselves "conservative" and "libertarian"
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Very good points about Trump.

BUT the Con Media Machine has been using this tactic for 15+ years. They don't defend, they attack. Which as you pointed out, is exactly what Trump is doing.

Remember who is his #1 adviser. Bannon, one of the top people in the 'Conservative Media Machine'..

And it works.
 
Trump has demonstrated that he is grossly irresponsible.... does not know or appreciate the difference between what is real and what is fantasy..... and is without self control and a danger to the nation and its people.

He must be removed from office ASAP before the delusional and damage man does great damage to our nation - if not the world.
 
Somerville said:
This tactic is seen every day on this forum. It is something that both sides of the political fence are guilty of but I do see it more often coming from those who call themselves "conservative" and "libertarian"
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and in this case, the "someone else who is worse" is the United States.
 
Somerville said:
... but I do see it more often coming from those who call themselves "conservative" and "libertarian"
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You must be imagining things.
I have been here since 03/12 and it has been non-stop; What about Bush; What about Republicans.
 
Apparently the idea of never admitting error or failure is universal among presidents. It is a serious human weakness shared by many.
 
Somerville said:
This tactic is seen every day on this forum. It is something that both sides of the political fence are guilty of but I do see it more often coming from those who call themselves "conservative" and "libertarian"
Click to expand...

Looks like the Left is trying to hide from it's own hypocrisy.

And when the hell was this, "Russia's favorite propaganda tactic"? The title is whataboutism (of course, another ism) all by itself. :lamo
 
apdst said:
Looks like the Left is trying to hide from it's own hypocrisy.

And when the hell was this, "Russia's favorite propaganda tactic"? The title is whataboutism (of course, another ism) all by itself. :lamo
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Reading the linked article would help you find an answer but if that is too much trouble - perhaps because you see NPR as little more than a leftist propaganda outlet - here's a quote from the words I posted in the OP
This particular brand of changing the subject is called "whataboutism" — a simple rhetorical tactic heavily used by the Soviet Union and, later, Russia. And its use in Russia helps illustrate how it could be such a useful tool now, in America. As Russian political experts told NPR, it's an attractive tactic for populists in particular, allowing them to be vague but appear straight-talking at the same time.
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Funny how everything suddenly, after the humiliating electoral defeat and now general acceptance by everyone with even a tiny bit of knowldge that the feeble Democrat Party has been pretty much swept from the board, everything from the Left has become whatabout Russia and Trump... this thread being proof in the pudding (not Putin).

"Comey did it" did not work, the "FAKE NEWS" meme boomaranged on the left, now the, after 9 months of investigation and yet, to date, not a single identifiable and credible item in favor of the alleged wrongdoing has surfaced in any other manner than innuendo, its all full court press on whatabout Trump and Russians.

Hey, I will give it to you lefties, you are persistent, annoyingly and wastefully so, in the face of such a dearth of even a single scrap of verifiable information...shameless and will be possibly a death blow if it turns out nothing there is there.
 
Whatabout Obama bugging Trump Towers? Whatabout it, huh? Never mind Russia meddling in our election.
 
Gaugingcatenate said:
Hey, I will give it to you lefties, you are persistent, annoyingly and wastefully so.
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No, the recent bar set in large part by Republicans was set at about 2.5 years and 8 investigations mark. Benghazi ring a bell? Comparing the two in scope, I'm going to guess you may be in for a long ride.
 
Mach said:
No, the recent bar set in large part by Republicans was set at about 2.5 years and 8 investigations mark. Benghazi ring a bell? Comparing the two in scope, I'm going to guess you may be in for a long ride.
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Ya think?

Remind me of how many American's lives were sacrificed for political expediency by President Trump?

How many indictments were handed down by the bomb's political appointees... or properly handed to a grand jury as is normal, especially when you know someone has broken multiple laws as we know, and Comey precisely laid out?

Sent from my SM-J700M using Tapatalk
 
Gaugingcatenate said:
Hey, I will give it to you lefties, you are persistent, annoyingly and wastefully so, in the face of such a dearth of even a single scrap of verifiable information.
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This... Coming from someone who is still a birther :lamo
 
Gaugingcatenate said:
Remind me of how many American's lives were sacrificed for political expediency by President Trump?
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Possibly one at the very start of his term.

How many indictments were handed down by the bomb's political appointees... or properly handed to a grand jury as is normal, especially when you know someone has broken multiple laws as we know, and Comey precisely laid out?
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The bomb? Who and what are you referring to, is this about Trump?
 
Jetboogieman said:
This... Coming from someone who is still a birther :lamo
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What? Is that all you got? Ever?

First of all would love to have you prove me wrong on anything, even once...and why not bring your obviously monumental intellect to bear in these debates? Don't tell me, oh the horror-------did that poor little monumental intellect die at birther? AHha hahahahahahahahaha

:lamo

Thanks, it goes well with the whine you so thoughtfully provided...cheers.
 
Mach said:
Possibly one at the very start of his term.

The bomb? Who and what are you referring to, is this about Trump?
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Yeah, I call bull**** on that. It was a plan devised by the bomb's administration.


No no noooo, I have a strict policy on making the truly clueless figure out the obvious themselves. Good luck... but feel free to ask someone for assistance, just not me.
 
Gaugingcatenate said:
Yeah, I call bull**** on that. It was a plan devised by the bomb's administration. No no noooo, I have a strict policy on making the truly clueless figure out the obvious themselves. Good luck... but feel free to ask someone for assistance, just not me.
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A plan, for which you provide no evidence. A derogatory nickname because you're so cool brewester. This is conservative debate? It's almost as bad as the Trump presidency.
 
Moderator's Warning:
Cease the personal crap.
 
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