John Oliver Explains “WhatAboutIsm”

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1. SomeDAM Poet says:

   November 20, 2017 at 1:49 pm

   “What about?”

   What about the Democrat?
   What about Repub?
   What about the tit-for-tat?
   Ah, but there’s the rub.

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2. Steve Ruis says:

   November 20, 2017 at 1:54 pm

   this is a lame approach to discourse (whataboutism). If someone tries to derail your questions about someone’s misconduct with a “What about …?” statement, for example wen Republican candidate’s sexual misconduct is mentioned and they respond with “What about Bill Clinton?” avoid the trap by asking “So, you believe someone else’s misconduct excuses this guy?”

   If they bring up the Bible (What about the Bible?), as in Roy Moore’s case, mention that the Bible is not the law of Alabama; Alabama law says it is sexual misconduct.

   Everyone I know tried that on their mother when in high school with “But everyone else is doing it!” It didn’t work then and it doesn’t work now/

   On Mon, Nov 20, 2017 at 12:00 PM, Diane Ravitch’s blog wrote:

   > dianeravitch posted: “John Oliver is one of the funniest commentators on > American politics. This is hilarious. Please watch. ” >

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   • dianeravitch says:

     November 20, 2017 at 2:11 pm

     Good point, Steve.

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   • NYC public school parent says:

     November 20, 2017 at 3:26 pm

     But that is the trap the Republicans want us to fall into.

     No person is perfect. But there are people who are outright corrupt and people whose actions can be turned into trumped out “scandals” because the Republican propaganda machine is turned against them.

     And when you try to defend them against what is pure propaganda that equates minor human flaws with major corruption, they say “so you believe someone else’s misconduct excuses this guy”?

     That’s the trap that has ruined the Democrats for years. And the Dems fall right into it.

     There ARE corrupt people. And there are people who make mistakes.

     For example: “Obama is a huge liar because he said you’d be able to keep your insurance and he lied out right to us because we can’t. He and Trump both lie.”

     “Elizabeth Warren lied about being a Native American”.

     We HAVE to counter these false equivalencies instead of pretending that every “crime” is equal and proves corruption.

     My idea is to say: yes, let’s fully investigate all accusations and get people under oath, both republicans accused of wrong doing and democrats so we can distinguish between real corruption and the things that every human being can be accused of doing no matter how honorable they are.

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3. InService says:

   November 20, 2017 at 6:35 pm

   I love John Oliver and Last Week Tonight, but is Mr. Oliver really doing comedy — or is he just factually reporting the news and Mr. Donald being the comedian? I don’t know. That’s all I am saying, I don’t know who’s funnier. I don’t know!

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4. carolmalaysia says:

   November 20, 2017 at 6:59 pm

   Isn’t it amazing that the Orange IDIOT who speaks so unintelligently could con people into believing the nonsense that he spews? Between the nonsensical rambling blather and the changing of beliefs, depending upon who last talked with him, I find it impossible to figure out what he thinks. And when he does finally state an idea, it usually is something
   destructive.

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5. GregB says:

   November 20, 2017 at 10:36 pm

   If I may, with all the news about sexual harassment and abuse—Weinstein, Moore, Franken, Rose, Thrush, and whoever the next one will be—what about our Dear Leader?

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   • carolmalaysia says:

     November 21, 2017 at 6:48 am

     I believe I read that only 6% of Trump’s voters believe that he was a sexual predator.
     ……..
     Female Trump Voters Don’t Care If He’s a Sexual Predator
     OCTOBER 17, 2016

     Although they’re in the minority, the women who support Trump are adamant that his alleged history of sexual assault doesn’t impact his ability to lead a country.

     “He may be disgusting and maybe he’s done the things that they said he’s done,” Pam Byrd, a North Carolina resident, told the Daily Beast. “But he’s still got common sense and he’s saying smart things.” Her sister, Tina Stevens, agreed.

     “I don’t think it’s a personality contest,” she said. “In my job, I’ve had to work with people I didn’t like. But they did a really, really good job. And that’s what I see as far as Trump goes.”…

     https://www.thecut.com/2016/10/women-who-support-trump-dont-care-if-hes-a-sexual-predator.html?utm_source=eml&utm_medium=e1&utm_campaign=sharebutton-t

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6. drext727 says:

   November 20, 2017 at 11:39 pm

   Reblogged this on David R. Taylor-Thoughts on Education.

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7. NoBrick says:

   November 21, 2017 at 7:14 am

   It’s amazing how many people slept through
   “The difference between shit and shinola 101″…

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8. carolmalaysia says:

   November 21, 2017 at 7:19 am

   The Secrets Donald Trump Doesn’t Want You to Know About: Business, Finance, Marketing
   The Film Archives
   Published on Oct 11, 2017
   David Cay Boyle Johnston (born December 24, 1948) is an American investigative journalist and author, a specialist in economics and tax issues, and winner of the 2001 Pulitzer Prize for Beat Reporting.

   The Making of Donald Trump is a 2016 biography of the American businessman, property developer and politician Donald Trump by the American investigative journalist David Cay Johnston. It was published by Melville House Publishing.More on the book: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/161…

   Johnston first met Trump as a reporter for The Philadelphia Inquirer in June 1988 and likened him to P. T. Barnum. He subsequently reported on Trump for almost 30 years, and wrote the book in 27 days. In an interview with The New York Times Johnston said that Trump had “…seriously damaged his brand” with his presidential campaign and would “follow him for the rest of his life”. Johnston also felt that Trump was “masterful at understanding the conventions of journalism” and “remarkably agile at doing as he chooses and getting away with it.”

   The book entered the New York Times hardcover nonfiction list in fifteenth position and spent four weeks there.

   https://youtu.be/C8bAHb4yVko

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