What’s Wrong With This Picture?

What’s wrong with this picture?

moore

Ok, I wanted to draw your attention to this because it’s part and parcel of what John Oliver recently described as “Whataboutism.”

Before we get to that though, you’ll note that the cartoon (which is making the rounds) would convey something completely different if Roy Moore were portrayed stalking local malls for underaged girls. Instead he’s portrayed as a victim wearing a suit and sporting a sad look on his face as though he’s some kind of martyr.

Besides that, “What about Harvey?” or “What about Al?” or “What about Charlie?” is an endless regression. Because the next question could very reasonably be “What about Roy?” to which someone could respond “What about Bill?” and then someone else could respond “What about Trump grabbing pussy?” and on, and on, and on to infinity.

But more important than either of those two considerations is the self-evident fact that you do not get to point to something someone else did to exonerate yourself when you have been accused of wrong-doing. That doesn’t make any sense and exactly no one would accept it if they were the one who was wronged.

Try to imagine this scenario. Someone breaks into your house and steals your television. The person is caught and you press charges. In court, the defendant’s lawyer stands up, looks around the room, and says this:

Ladies and gentlemen, this case has no merit. Millions of people have stolen TVs in the past. What about them? I rest my case.

In no world do you get away with a crime because someone else has committed similar crimes in the past. If that were a viable defense then any crime that has ever been committed would be de facto legal simply by virtue of someone having committed it before.

Murdered someone? That’s fine because after all: Charles Manson.

Committed securities fraud? That’s fine, because after all: Enron.

Ran a pyramid scheme? That’s fine, because after all: Bernie Madoff.

So please, let’s stop it with that shit and get back to reality where people who have committed crimes are held accountable for those crimes without reference to other people who have committed crimes.

Otherwise, there’s nothing to stop Harvey Weinstein from pointing to Kevin Spacey and saying “well, I think I should get a pass because look what he did.”

 

 

 

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3 thoughts on “What’s Wrong With This Picture?

  1. Yeah, Walt, but what about Dennis Hastert, Pedro Alonzo Lopez, John Wayne Gacy and Nathaniel Bar-Jonah? Huh?! What about em, ey? Weren’t they worse than Moore? So, there!

  2. Get into a discussion with a conservative and you’ll hear a lot of “what about’s…” Like “What about..”, “People say…” and “I’ve heard…” must go too. Just more pieces of the disinformation loop. Speaking of Manson, he always said he didn’t do it too. Funny, just like Putin.

  3. I also think the other complete fallacy is making them all equal in severity! Certainly the pedophile behavior is the most criminal and should result in prison time if not for possible statue of limitations. After that crime, you can line them all up in some order of Moore, Rose, Conyers, Weinstien, Spacey, Simmons, Stallone, Jeremy, oh hell, read it yourself!
    Published Nov 9, 2017: http://time.com/5015204/harvey-weinstein-scandal/

    I feel sure some of these are “reaching” to meet the legal definitions of assault or worse. It is inappropriate for the politicians or courts to consider them all the same. It deflates the severity of the most heinous and deprives the victim of justice OR it unjustly labels another and damages a career and reputation unfairly.

    We recognize which and why certain politicians want to point and blame a person who is thrown into the fray in order to detract from accusations against themselves and to use such opportunity is shameful and disgusting but given the name of that opportunistic prick we should not be surprised!

    Just an example….every time I hear trump suggest voting for Roy Moore and then criticize Franken I know trump is a lowlife scum who has no care for the future of his party and is drowning in his dissolving legacy, day by day.

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